Nationals not rushing Strasburg back from injury, leaving opening day in question

Stephen Strasburg is healthy, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be the Washington Nationals’ opening day starter.

Strasburg, who is nearly eight months removed from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, took the mound for the first time during spring training on Tuesday for live batting practice, and the session went off without a hitch. But opening day at Nationals Park is almost three weeks away, and the team’s ace isn’t planning to rush himself to get back in time to throw out the season’s first pitch.

Strasburg told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, that his intention is to stick with his normal six-week spring training program. Spring training this season was shortened to about three weeks due to the 99-day MLB lockout. 

“My routine is having a six-week spring training,” Strasburg told reporters. “I think of all years to just try and be aggressive, I don’t know if this is necessarily the right year and the right time to do it. So my goal is to be ready when I’m ready, and be there the rest of the way.”

That doesn’t guarantee the 2019 World Series MVP won’t start versus the Mets on April 7 — it just means extra emphasis isn’t being put on opening day.

“My focus was today, getting him through today. Tomorrow, we’ll have another conversation to see how he’s doing after today,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday. “I’m not putting anything on him right now. It’s going to be a process, and we’ll see where we end up.”

Strasburg has barely pitched for Washington since the team signed him to a seven-year, $245 million contract after he led the Senior Circuit in wins and pitched the Nationals to a World Series trophy in 2019. He threw only five frames in 2020 due to a nerve issue in his wrist and 21 2/3 innings last season. Martinez said Sunday that the best news on Strasburg was that “the circulatory problems are no longer with us,” in reference to the 33-year-old’s thoracic outlet surgery in July. 

Martinez thought Strasburg looked good during his live batting practice session, adding that the hitters the 6-foot-5 right-hander faced thought so as well. 

Stephen Strasburg is throwing live BP to teammates including Victor Robles, Lane Thomas and Josh Bell. pic.twitter.com/Ze3PmcbrGh

— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) March 15, 2022

“I thought he threw the ball well. That’s the first time he’s faced live hitters, and the ball is coming out fine,” Martinez said. “There was a lot of fluidity today, and I think he was happy with it. It was good to see him back on the mound facing hitters.”

Martinez said the plan is to “build him up” to get ready, stressing that his health is the team’s top objective. 

“The biggest thing for us is to keep him on the mound and keep him healthy,” the fifth-year skipper said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to do that.”

If he can’t go for opening day, it will be the first time since 2011 that someone other than Strasburg or Max Scherzer was given the ball for the first game of the season. Liván Hernández was the team’s opening day starter in 2011. 

In that situation, Patrick Corbin would likely see his name get called. Corbin, 32-year-old lefty, struggled mightily last season with a National League-worst 5.82 earned-run average among qualified starting pitchers. 

The Nationals will see Mets ace Jacob deGrom for the first game of the season on April 7, New York manager Buck Showalter confirmed Monday. Scherzer, who signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets in the offseason, will likely make his return to Nationals Park the following day.