JUPITER, Fla. -- Ben Braymer arrived at the Nationals’ clubhouse on Tuesday morning knowing there was a possibility he could be named the starting pitcher for the game that afternoon. Be ready, he had been told. With Max Scherzer’s start pushed back because of a right side ailment, the lefty got the word he’d be taking the mound against the Marlins.

“Any time you get a chance to start a game with the regulars behind you, that’s exciting,” Braymer, ranked Washington’s No. 22 prospect per MLB Pipeline, said.

Braymer was caught by Kurt Suzuki and backed up by a defensive lineup that included Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman and Juan Soto in the Nats' 3-2 loss. He threw 2 1/3 frames, fanned two and allowed six hits and two runs off 53 pitches (36 strikes).

“I liked him,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He needs to be able to throw his changeup down. I know he was a little amped up. He attacks the strike zone. He did well. I think he’s going to be OK.”

• Braymer gets scholarly

Braymer has been part of the Nationals' organization since he was selected by them in the 18th round of the 2016 Draft. Last year, he split time at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. The differences were notable. Braymer was 4-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 13 starts for Harrisburg. In the same number of games for Fresno, he went 0-6 with a 7.20 ERA.

“That definitely tried me mentally,” Braymer said. “That was the most trying stretch of my career for the first, probably, six weeks being out there. … I was able to take a step back and realize that I need to be the same person every day, no matter how good things are going or how bad they might be going.”

The Nationals selected Braymer’s contract in November and added him to their Spring Training roster this year. Prior to Tuesday’s start, he had appeared in two games out of the bullpen, posting an ERA of 4.91 over 3 2/3 innings.

From reliever to starter he went. Martinez wanted to observe how Braymer warmed up and reacted to the beginning of the game. Having gone through struggles last season, Braymer approached Tuesday’s call with an even-keeled outlook.

“I think something that I struggled with in the past was flipping that switch and going from being super serious to super light,” he said. “I think my personality is somewhere in the middle. So, I try to stay on that common ground. That’s something that’s been key for me throughout the development process.”

Soto hits the foul pole
In a lefty vs. lefty matchup, Juan Soto sailed a pitch from Caleb Smith off the right-field foul pole for his second homer of the spring, a two-run shot. Last season, Soto hit .285/.371/.478 with six home runs in 186 at-bats against left-handers compared to .281/.416/.584 with 28 homers over 356 at-bats facing right-handers.

“It was really good, the fact he stayed through it,” Martinez said. “The ball was kind of up-and-in a little bit. He’s just a good hitter.”

Up next
Stephen Strasburg, who made his spring debut on Feb. 28, will get his second start on Wednesday afternoon against the Astros. He will face fellow righty Lance McCullers Jr. at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches at 1:05 p.m. ET. Strasburg threw 1 1/3 innings (three hits, three runs, three strikeouts) in his first appearance. Listen to the game live on Gameday Audio.