Henry Roldán
This Tuesday, the manager of the Washington Nationals, Dave Martínez, announced that the starter Stephen Strasburg has a return date with the team.
According to MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato, the 33-year-old right-hander will take the mound again this Thursday when the Nationals meet the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.
Martínez noted that Strasburg, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since June last season after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in July 2021, will have no job restrictions after three minor league rehab starts.
He said he was feeling fine, so he’s opening for us on Thursday. I’m not going to put any limitations on him. We’ll see how far we can take him. We’ll keep a close eye on him, but this is one of the reasons why we wanted him to go through what he did and to make sure that he’s fully ready.
Dave Martínez on the return of Stephen Strasburg
The return of Stephen Strasburg is undoubtedly excellent news for the Washington team, which, although it has no chance of fighting for the postseason, has seen its star pitcher barely work 26 and two-thirds innings since signing a seven-year, $245 million contract extension in December 2019.
In addition to the operation he underwent in 2021, Strasburg only pitched five innings in 2020 as he underwent another operation, but this time for carpal tunnel on his right hand.
Dave Martínez Expects Stephen Strasburg to Reach 20 Starts
After his stint in the minor leagues where he worked on his technique and some game adjustments, manager Dave Martínez is convinced that Stephen Strasburg is more than ready to have a positive season with the team, and that includes starting at least 20 games.
I said, ‘For what you’re worth, I’m proud of you. I know this has been a difficult time for you, but you worked hard to get back. Just go out and have fun.’
Dave Martínez to Stephen Strasburg
Strasburg’s 12-year career in the Majors has been marked by ups and downs due to his constant injuries, leaving many wondering how far the right-hander might have come if healthy.
In 2014, he finished as the leader of the National League in strikeouts with 242, while his best campaign came in 2019. During that year, he was the World Series MVP, and in which during the regular round he was the leader in wins (18) and innings pitched (209.0) from the old circuit with a 3.32 ERA.
