Grace will be stretched out a bit this spring with multi-inning outings in preparation for a long-reliever role this season, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.
He was the de facto long man last year, throwing 50 innings in 40 outings and compiling one win, two saves and only 31 strikeouts. Grace also made one spot start, throwing 4.1 shutout innings against the Padres, and could be an option if the Nationals have need of a spot starter at some point this season. His inability to miss bats at a sufficient clip makes him uninteresting in the majority of formats.