Lefty Lee a 'Swiss Army Knife' in Nats' bullpen

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As projected members of the Nationals' starting rotation ramp up their outings in this phase of Spring Training, fewer innings are available for other pitchers in camp to see game action.

The Nats’ first round of roster moves on Tuesday included hurlers who manager Dave Martinez would like to have opportunities to get on the mound. Among the group reassigned to Minor League camp was left-hander Evan Lee, who made four appearances (one start) in his debut last year before his season was cut short by injuries.

“He’s done well,” Martinez said. “We put him in a game, he feels good. I think Evan Lee could be a guy out of the bullpen that could give us one-plus innings, maybe two, two-plus. … He’s one of the guys where we felt like because of where he’s at and he was hurt last year, just to kind of get him down there and kind of build him up, and get him going.”

Lee made his big league debut on June 1 as the starting pitcher and tossed 3 2/3 innings against the Mets. From there, his role shifted to the bullpen, and the Nationals leaned on him heavily: he pitched 1 2/3 frames (in the seventh and eighth innings) on June 7, 2 1/3 frames (from the fourth to the sixth) on June 12 and one frame (in the sixth and seventh) on June 17.

Lee pitched to a 4.15 ERA before a left flexor strain landed him on the 15-day injured list; in August, he was transferred to the 60-day IL. After recovering, he finished the season on rehab assignments in the Minor Leagues.

When a healthy Lee returned to Nats camp last month, the starting rotation looked very different than when he made his debut. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore had been acquired from the Padres, right-hander Cade Cavalli had arrived in the Majors and righty Trevor Williams had signed a multiyear deal in free agency. In this new pitching landscape, Lee was prepared for whatever task the team asked of him.

“Everything that I've heard -- and that they want me to do -- is provide multiple-inning depth and kind of be a Swiss Army Knife,” Lee said recently. “That's what I envision it as, and I like that because I'm able to help the team in multiple roles and multiple ways, and be able to get on the field more. It’s awesome, and I’ll do anything to help the club win.”

In order to prepare for a fluctuating role, the 25-year-old Lee has taken on the mindset that “you’ve just got to be ready every day.” He emphasized the value of leaning on pitchers who have been in similar situations to pick their brains for firsthand experience. Lee also appreciates learning from pitchers who are navigating the early stages of their careers just like he is. For those varying but equally valuable insights, he highlighted his conversations last season with multifaceted veteran pitcher Paolo Espino and third-year starter Josiah Gray.

“[Paolo and I] were both kind of swingmen trying to help the team and do multiple roles,” Lee said. “And then Josiah, just as a starter and a younger guy that I can really relate to, he was very helpful, especially early on when I [got] called up.”

Lee appeared in one Spring Training game before being reassigned to Minor League camp. His scoreless inning against the Yankees on March 1 included one hit, one strikeout and one walk across 19 pitches (11 strikes). The Nationals will continue to keep a close eye on his progress as they assess their needs in a right-hander-heavy bullpen that does not yet include a lock for a southpaw.

“I would really like to have a lefty,” Martinez said. “In a perfect world, two lefties would be great, because then you could do things early and late. But we’ll see.”