Taylor Jordan suffered a broken ankle during offseason

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Taylor Jordan has arrived at camp, ready to compete for the Washington Nationals’ fifth spot in the rotation, and threw his first bullpen session on Tuesday. Jordan apparently suffered a broken right ankle during the offseason, however, but he doesn’t expect it to slow him down once camp officially begins, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.

Jordan apparently broke the ankle in a freak accident, climbing out of a pool. He’d spent a month in a cast.

"My foot came out from under when I took a step. I sat on it and broke it. This offseason was the worst one of my life. So it was very hard, considering I had to stay in shape. I had to watch my diet so I didn’t lose too much weight. Right now, I’m a little skinnier than I want to be. I’m strong, but I want more muscle."

His ascension through Washington’s system was not expected in 2013. Still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in 2011, Jordan started the year at High-A Potomac before moving up to Double-A Harrisburg. He’d combine to go 9-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 0.919 WHIP over 14 starts, totaling 90.1 IP. In need of reinforcements at the Major League level, Jordan joined the Nationals to make nine more starts before being shut down in mid-August for the season. He’d pitch to a 3.66 ERA and 1.355 WHIP over 51.2 IP.

Washington has options heading into the season, especially given the fact that Ross Detwiler is the odds on favorite to win the last spot in the rotation – allowing the team to avoid rushing Jordan, Tanner Roark, and Nathan Karns into the mix right away.