The Washington Nationals know, at this point, that star pitcher Stephen Strasburg will not be ready in time for the start of the 2022 season.
The ace needed neurogenic thoracic outlet surgery last summer and wants to take things slow to make sure he is fully healed the moment he returns.
“For me, it’s about sticking to the program, and my routine is having a six-week spring training,” the right-hander told reporters last week.
“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.”
The Nationals Are Going To Take Their Time With Their Ace
Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez commented on Strasburg’s situation on Wednesday: “We’re going to take our time. We’re going to build him up. And we’re going to slowly but surely get him back out there. When he comes back, we need him back. Hopefully when he comes back, he gives us 20-25 starts. That’s what I’m looking at,” he said, per MASN Sports’ Mark Zuckerman.
Davey Martinez on Stephen Strasburg: "We're going to take our time. We're going to build him up. And we're going to slowly but surely get him back out there. When he comes back, we need him back. Hopefully when he comes back, he gives us 20-25 starts. That's what I'm looking at."
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 23, 2022
That means Strasburg could miss between one or two months of the regular season, which is a huge blow for the Nationals’ already slim chances.
It’s, however, the right way to approach such a delicate injury: thoracic outlet surgery is not insignificant.
The 2019 World Series hero is a big piece in the Nationals’ future, as he is signed to a long-term deal.
It’s, therefore, very important to keep him as healthy as he can be, even if that means missing a few games.
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