No. 1 pick debuts Friday at Triple-A Syracuse
The Stephen Strasburg-era is progressing exactly according to plan for the Nationals.
Recommended Stories
The 21-year-old pitching phenom dominated during his brief time at Double-A Harrisburg this season and on Tuesday earned the first of two expected promotions in 2010. Strasburg is heading to Triple-A Syracuse, where he will make his first start at home this Friday against the Gwinnett Braves. His next stop is Nationals Park, though general manager Mike Rizzo would not put a timetable on that final step to the major leagues.
Strasburg, selected by Washington with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts at Harrisburg. He struck out 27 batters and walked just six in 22 innings.
So why now?
“Because this is part of the process, the developmental process. [Strasburg] has done everything that he can do at the Double-A level,” said Rizzo, who denied the organization has a firm plan to bring Strasburg up to the majors in June. “Now it’s time for him to progress to more veteran hitters with a little bit more sense of the strike zone and to get that type of experience at that level.”
Strasburg will throw six innings or about 90 pitches, whichever comes first, on Friday night. The Nats still want to see their future ace control the opposition’s running game better, become more comfortable fielding his position and deal with swinging the bat.
Meanwhile, as Washington waits for Strasburg’s arrival, the club announced left-handed pitcher John Lannan will miss his next start thanks to swelling in his left elbow. The 25-year-old struggled on Sunday in a 9-3 loss at Florida. He is 1-2 with a 6.34 ERA. His main problem comes on breaking pitches, where Lannan has been feeling “a little something” in his elbow, according to manager Jim Riggleman. That isn’t an issue when he throws his fastball. Rizzo said that Lannan had an MRI after a start at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on April 26. He also had a cortisone injection to reduce the swelling.
No word on who will pitch for the Nats on Saturday — Lannan’s next scheduled start. Collin Balester is scheduled to start that night for Triple-A Syracuse. But reliever Miguel Batista has pitched in long relief several times this season and is capable of handling a spot start.
At this point, team officials say there are no plans to put Lannan on the disabled list or for him to undergo surgery, Rizzo said. The initial MRI came back clean save for the swelling, according to team doctors.
“For whatever reason [Lannan] is just not sharp,” Riggleman said. “For him to hit the eighth-place hitter and to walk the leadoff hitter [against Florida on Sunday] or in Chicago to walk three guys in a row, that’s not John. And we’ve got to determine is there something there physically.”
