Nationals right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg will throw one last side session in Viera, Fla. on Thursday and then likely make his way to low-A Hagerstown for his first rehabilitation start on Aug. 7, according to manager Davey Johnson.
Strasburg tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last August and had surgery Sept. 3 so he’s on track to pitch in the big leagues in early September. Johnson already said earlier this week that Strasburg was about ready to make his first minor-league start – he just didn’t have a specific date.
Strasburg will likely go one or two innings with the Suns. Johnson ticked off four dates – Aug. 7, 12, 17, 22 – before they’ll re-evaluate Strasburg. If he’s on track then maybe he makes one more minor-league start in late August and will be ready for a return to the Nats the first week of September. Will he replace starter Jordan Zimmermann when he hits his innings cap of about 160 innings?
“It’d be nice,” Johnson said. “But they’re two different animals. They’ve got their own timeframe. But I don’t figure there’ll be too much of a drop-off in that spot.”
Zimmermann will make a start Aug. 5 and another on Aug. 10. A day off pushes his next one to Aug. 17 and lines his schedule up with Strasburg’s perfectly. Depending on how far Washington’s front office lets him go, Zimmermann could still make a start on Sept. 2 against the Mets. That’s set Strasburg up for a Sept. 7 return at Nationals Park against the Dodgers. Obvious caveat: If you buy tickets based on that guestimate you are making a horrible decision. A dozen different scenarios can push that date around, including weather, health, the performance of other starters etc.
Nats catcher Ivan Rodriguez (strained right oblique muscle) wasn’t 100 percent when he hit on Tuesday. But he will likely return to Washington on Friday and – Johnson hopes – will get some at-bats at Hagerstown over the weekend and early next week. Ideally, he’d be ready to catch Strasburg with the Suns on Sunday.
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