Healthy Strasburg lined up for Wednesday
After exiting with back tightness on Aug. 30, righty should return for finale vs. Mets
WASHINGTON -- Barring a setback or discomfort of any kind, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is on track to make his next start on Wednesday in the series finale against the Mets, manager Matt Williams announced on Monday.
Strasburg was forced out of his Aug. 30 start after four innings with tightness in his back, but he threw a successful bullpen session on Sunday.
"Feels good," Williams said of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 Draft. "He'll go throw again today, just his normal, light throwing. But he came out of the bullpen fine. We'll see how he is today, but he felt good."
Strasburg has been on the disabled list twice this season, but when completely healthy, he's been impressive. Between July 3 and Aug. 25, Strasburg was 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA (five earned runs over 29 2/3 innings) on 15 hits. He struck out 35 and walked five in that span.
If for some reason Strasburg is unable to go on Wednesday, the Nationals have several available replacements. Tanner Roark pitched in Strasburg's rotation spot last time around, so he remains on schedule to pitch if an issue arises. The Nationals also have A.J. Cole and Doug Fister, both traditional starters currently serving in long-relief roles.