WASHINGTON -- Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg spoke to the media on Saturday, three days after straining the flexor mass in his right arm against the Braves. He said he wasn't sure if he was going to participate in the postseason.
"I can't make that claim," Strasburg said on Saturday. "There is still [almost] a month [left in] the season."
Strasburg said he was relieved that he did not need Tommy John surgery for a second time. Strasburg felt the pain in the third inning and said it felt like he was pitching in the seventh inning -- his arm was that tired. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection Friday and will have another doctor look at his MRI for a second opinion.
"I'm trying to take it one day at a time now and do everything I can to get back out there, not only as fast as possible, but feeling right at the same time," Strasburg said.
After Strasburg struck out Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz for the first out of the third inning on Wednesday, Nationals trainer Paul Lessard and pitching coach Mike Maddux went to the mound to check on the right-hander. Lessard then summoned manager Dusty Baker to come to the mound. Baker called it "a long walk" to check on Strasburg.
A few minutes later, Strasburg left the game and was replaced by left-hander Sean Burnett. Strasburg allowed one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings.
"It was alarming for me. … I felt something on the pitch and it really didn't go away. It just kind of stayed there," Strasburg said. "That's when I knew it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to keep [pitching]."
Strasburg needs four or five days for the swelling in the flexor to go down. Asked how he felt, he said, "It's sore after the injection yesterday, but now it's normal stiffness and that's the only thing I could feel. But as far as pain or sensitivity, that pretty much subsided."
Strasburg, who is 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 starts, had been out since Aug. 17 with right elbow soreness before taking the mound Wednesday. The right-hander also spent time on the disabled list in June with an upper back strain.