Major League Baseball

Strasburg getting ready for Nationals start

Published Sep. 4, 2011 12:12 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Stephen Strasburg had Tommy John surgery a year ago Saturday. It's an anniversary he'd like to forget, and he's getting closer to putting it behind him.

Strasburg is scheduled to start for the Washington Nationals on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he's eager to get going. The right-hander threw a bullpen session Saturday.

''It seems like it's been a year,'' Strasburg said. ''I didn't know how long it was going to feel like. I thought it was going to take forever the first five months I wasn't throwing. Then when I started to throw off the mound and facing hitters, it started to speed up.''

The 22-year-old Strasburg, who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, said he has a few goals for his remaining handful of starts this year.

''Bottom line is to go out there and get your innings in and build up your arm strength, go into the offseason healthy,'' Strasburg said.

''I'm not going to put any expectations on myself. I'm not going to go out there and win a Cy Young in four starts.''

After his surgery, there was talk Strasburg would miss the entire 2011 season, but he was determined to pitch this year.

''It was my goal and besides that, I wanted to go into the offseason healthy and it looks like at this point, both of them are going to happen,'' Strasburg said.

Manager Davey Johnson will have him on a strict pitch limit Tuesday. Johnson said he'll throw fewer pitches than the 70 he had in his sixth and final rehab start on Thursday for Double-A Harrisburg.

''I will have a short leash on him the first couple of starts,'' Johnson said. ''Basically, Stras is going to be in the rotation on normal rest.''

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball