Strasburg focused on mechanics, not health

SAN DIEGO -- Two days after having one of the worst outings of his career, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg had a bullpen session Thursday, and it went well. He is trying to fix mechanics in his delivery.

In his last start against the D-backs, Strasburg allowed eight runs (seven earned) in 3 1/3 innings. He said the poor performance was caused by poor pitch selection and bad mechanics that stemmed from an ankle injury in Spring Training, but he said he's injury free now.

Before that start, Strasburg was throwing across his body quite a bit, so the plan is to have better alignment while throwing toward home plate. It looked like it was working during bullpen sessions, but it changed on Tuesday.

"There are some things I'm working through. I think in the long run, I'm going to look back on this, I'll think of it as a blessing," Strasburg said. "I go through times like this. You do your best to stay positive, to be at peace in all situations. ... I'm trying to keep getting better. I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. I will continue to work hard to help this team win as many games as we can.

"The thing is, you have to go out there and execute the pitches, and even then you have to have a game plan. These are good hitters, and they are going to try and think with you. You just have to be on top of your game in that department. At the same time, I know the ability and the stuff that I have. As long as I go out there and execute pitches the way I know I can, I'll be OK."

Strasburg's next outing will be Sunday in San Diego against the Padres, the team he grew up loving as a kid.

"I try not to worry about that too much," Strasburg said about pitching in front of his family. "It doesn't really manner where I'm pitching. ... They are always watching."