Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: At least three rehab starts ahead
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Strasburg (neck) is expected to need at least three rehab starts before rejoining the Nationals' rotation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
The right-hander will make the first of those starts Tuesday at Single-A Fredericksburg, where he'll have a target workload of four innings and 60 pitches. Manager Dave Martinez indicated Sunday that the team wants Strasburg to comfortably be able to throw at least six innings and 90 pitches before being activated, and given his long layoff after thoracic outlet surgery last summer, it's possible he could need more than three rehab outings to prove to the organization he's ready. Strasburg threw only 26.2 big-league innings over the prior two seasons and still has four years and $140 million remaining on his current contract, so don't expect the Nationals to push him too hard in 2022.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Ready for rehab assignment
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Strasburg (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Single-A Fredericksburg, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The Nationals are targeting around four innings and 60 pitches Tuesday for Strasburg, who is making his first appearance in affiliated ball since June 1 of last year. Due to his lengthy layoff following the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent last July, Washington will presumably want to see Strasburg build up his pitch count over at least two starts in the minors before activating him from the 10-day injured list. The Nationals' decision not to move Strasburg onto the 60-day IL at any point would seem to imply that the team has hopes of him potentially joining the big-league rotation at some point during the first week of June.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Tosses three simulated innings
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Strasburg (neck) threw 43 pitches over three innings during a simulated game Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Strasburg threw two simulated innings late last week and continues to get closer to being cleared for a rehab assignment. The right-hander is expected to toss 60 pitches over four innings during his next throwing session, and that could occur with a minor-league affiliate. The Nationals will likely be cautious before activating Strasburg given his injury history, but he's made encouraging progress recently.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Throws two simulated innings
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Strasburg (neck) threw two innings in a simulated game at extended spring training Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Strasburg has been out all year as he makes his way back from thoracic outlet surgery. It's a big step to see him throwing in a simulated game, but he still has several weeks to go before being activated from the injured list. He'll have to go through a full spring build-up process as he gradually increases his pitch count.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Another sim game on tap
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Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Strasburg (neck) is scheduled to throw another simulated game at extended spring training this weekend, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Strasburg felt good coming out of his two-inning simulated game Tuesday, so he'll face hitters for the second time this week and presumably increase his pitch count. The Nationals will reassess Strasburg after the simulated game before potentially mapping out a minor-league rehab assignment for the right-hander. Washington has thus far resisted moving Strasburg to the 60-day injured list, which signals that the team is leaving the door open for him to make his season debut for the big club before June 7.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Ready to pitch two innings
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Strasburg (neck) is scheduled to pitch a two-inning simulated game this week at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that he wants Strasburg to build up his pitch count a bit more before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so the 33-year-old seems likely to remain in Florida for at least another week. The Nationals have been bringing Strasburg along slowly as he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which cut short his 2021 season. Since he'll presumably require multiple rehab starts before returning from the 10-day injured list, Strasburg appears unlikely to make his 2022 Nationals debut until June.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Facing live hitters
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Strasburg (neck) will pitch against live hitters Wednesday at the Nationals' spring training facility, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Strasburg threw a 37-pitch bullpen session last week and will now progress to facing live hitters as he continues ramping up his rehab program. The veteran right-hander could begin a minor-league rehab assignment within the next couple weeks if Wednesday's session goes well.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Tosses 37 pitches Wednesday
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Strasburg (neck) threw a 37-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Strasburg slightly increased his pitch count Wednesday after he threw 30 pitches Friday. The right-hander has been trying to go out of the windup, and manager Dave Martinez is hopeful that Strasburg will be able to resume facing hitters the next time he's scheduled to throw. A timetable for his return isn't yet clear, but it'd be a significant step in his recovery if he's able to throw against batters.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Throws bullpen session
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Strasburg (neck) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Friday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Strasburg hasn't yet resumed facing hitters and has been limited to mound work recently. The Nationals haven't yet indicated when the right-hander will be able to return to game action, but he'll presumably require several weeks to build up once he's cleared to face hitters. A better recovery timetable will likely come into focus once he's able to ramp up his throwing program.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Not yet facing hitters
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Washington manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Strasburg (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) remains limited to throwing off a mound and hasn't advanced to facing hitters in live batting practice, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Shortly before Opening Day, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reported that Strasburg was scheduled to face hitters within a week, but the Nationals have seemingly slowed down his rehab timeline. Though the Nationals haven't indicated that Strasburg is experiencing any setbacks in his recovery from the surgery he underwent last July, the organization has reason to proceed cautiously with a pitcher who is in the third season of a seven-year, $245 million contract and has a checkered medical history. Once he's cleared to face hitters, Strasburg will likely need three or four weeks to build up his pitch count through simulated games and/or a minor-league rehab assignment, so he shouldn't be expected to make his 2022 debut for the Nationals until the second half of May at the earliest.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Moved to IL
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The Nationals placed Strasburg (neck) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Strasburg is being brought along slowly to begin the season while he works his way back from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent last July. He's seemingly experienced no setbacks since reporting to spring training, as he's been throwing throughout camp and has faced hitters. Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reported Tuesday that Strasburg is in line to throw another live bullpen session next week at extended spring training in Florida, where he's expected to continue building up for a few more weeks before potentially heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Per Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington, general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday that it's a "possibility" that Strasburg could make his season debut with the Nationals as early as May 1, though the organization is reluctant to put a hard timeline on his return.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Could be looking at mid-May debut
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Strasburg (neck) may not make his season debut until some time in May, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez dropped a couple breadcrumbs Wednesday regarding the team's plans for Strasburg, saying both that he wanted the right-hander to stay in the rotation once he joins it this season, and that he's expecting 20-25 starts from him. The high end of that range would suggest Strasburg will be making his 2022 debut in mid-May, although he could also make his first start sooner than that and get extra rest between turns over the summer to meet Martinez's target. Even that big a workload might be optimistic, however, as Strasburg has tossed only 26.2 big-league innings over the last two years and is coming back from thoracic outlet surgery, a procedure which so far has had a very spotty track record when it comes to pitchers regaining their prior form.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Not yet ready for live games
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Strasburg (neck) has been building up but is not yet ready to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.
Past reports suggested Strasburg may not be ready for Opening Day as he looks to build up cautiously after missing most of last season due to thoracic outlet syndrome. That still appears to be the case. He threw live batting practice last week and will throw a similar session again soon, but his timeline for an in-game appearance remains unclear.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Hints at delay to start season
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Strasburg (neck) acknowledged that though he felt good while facing hitters during Tuesday's live batting practice session, he may not be ready to go by Opening Day due to the compressed spring training caused by the MLB lockout, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "I think for me, it's about sticking to the program, and my routine is having a six-week spring training," said Strasburg, whose 2021 season was cut short after he underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last July. "I think of all years to try and be aggressive, I don't know if that's necessarily the right year, the right time to do it."
Based on the comments made so far this spring from general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Dave Martinez and himself, Strasburg seems to be in an excellent spot health-wise following a procedure that has been known to derail pitchers' careers in the past. Even though Strasburg isn't behind any of the other starting pitchers in camp, the veteran right-hander and the Nationals both appear to be on the same page about not pushing things during the buildup process at the risk of negating all the good progress he's made in his recovery thus far. If Strasburg stays committed to the six-week buildup program and he feels mentally ready to pitch by the end of it, he'll still be on pace to make his season debut by mid-to-late April, which would put him on track to make 30-plus starts over the course of a full campaign.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Set for live BP session
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Strasburg (neck/shoulder) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo implied Sunday when he spoke to the media that Strasburg was on track for Opening Day, and the right-hander's upcoming throwing session is further evidence that he's feeling healthy again after his 2021 campaign was cut short by the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he required last July. Washington may want to wait and see how Strasburg looks over multiple live throwing sessions before locking him into the Opening Day rotation, but by all accounts, the oft-injured hurler is progressing from surgery better than some may have anticipated, based on his history.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Prepping for start of season
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Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday that Strasburg (neck) is in "prep mode" for the start of the regular season, "not rehab mode," Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
At the same time, Rizzo acknowledged that the Nationals won't fully know where Strasburg stands in his recovery from the season-ending thoracic outlet surgery he underwent last July until the coaching and training staffs get a chance to evaluate him during his upcoming spring throwing sessions, per Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. With that in mind, Washington may look to build Strasburg up slowly this spring compared to the team's other rotation candidates, though at this stage, the 33-year-old looks as though he has a shot at being ready for Opening Day. Strasburg has made just seven starts across the past two seasons, as his 2020 campaign was shortened not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but also due to a nerve issue in his throwing hand that required surgery.
Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Will begin throwing in November
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Strasburg (neck) will begin throwing Nov. 2, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Strasburg has spent the past few months recovery from thoracic outlet surgery, a procedure he underwent back in late July. The fact that he'll start throwing so early in the offseason seemingly bodes well for his readiness for next year, but it will be hard to have much confidence in his health during draft season given that he's made just seven starts over the last two years.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Strasburg (neck) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Strasburg's move to the 60-day IL is simply procedural after he underwent season-ending neurogenic thoracic outlet surgery at the end of July. The Nationals are hopeful that the right-hander will be able to return in time for the start of spring training in 2022, but he's been limited to just seven starts across the last two seasons while battling injuries.
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Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: Surgery goes well
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Strasburg's thoracic outlet surgery went well Wednesday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Persistent health problems have limited Strasburg to just seven starts over the last two seasons. The latest issue, neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, is one of the more worrisome issues a pitcher can go through. It's good news that the procedure went well, and the Nationals remain hopeful that the righty will be ready for the start of spring training, but his health history makes it tough to be optimistic about his outlook.
