Washington Nationals & Stephen Strasburg Eyeing May Return

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said on The Sports Junkie radio show that Stephen Strasburg might be ready by May 1.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said on @JunksRadio this morning that Stephen Strasburg has tweaked his delivery to put less pressure on his arm. He said it was a ?possibility? that Stras would return by May 1 but didn?t want to put a timeline on it.

— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) April 6, 2022

After putting a timeline on Strasburg’s return, Rizzo also said he didn’t want to put a timeline on it. Strasburg has been struggling with injuries over the past two years. In 2020, he went on the injured list with a nerve issue in his hand, then would undergo surgery in 2021 to alleviate neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome in his neck.

Between 2020 and 2021, Strasburg has only pitched in seven games. His last season of substance was in 2019, when he had 18 wins to just six losses in 33 games, a 1.04 WHIP, 3.32 ERA, and 251 strikeouts in 209 innings pitched.

Strasburg is a three-time All-Star, being named to the team in 2012, 2016, and 2017. He won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and was the World Series MVP.

The Nationals open their season against the Mets on April 7 at 4:05 p.m. ET. Patrick Corbin is scheduled to start for Washington.

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Washington Nationals are +108 against the New York Mets on Thursday.