Manager Davey Johnson this afternoon laid out the schedule for Stephen Strasburg's remaining starts in the 2011 season.  Using a plan similar to what the team employed with Jordan Zimmermann last season in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, Strasburg will get extra rest between starts down the stretch.

Johnson said Strasburg, barring any set-backs or weather problems, will pitch this Sunday, Sept. 11, against the Houston Astros, Saturday, Sept. 17 against the Florida Marlins and Friday, Sept. 23 against the Atlanta Braves.  All three starts are at Nationals Park, though Johnson said where the games were was inconsequential.

The Nats manager added that if the organization decides they want to get a fourth start in, Strasburg could pitch the final day of the season, Wednesday Sept. 28 at Florida.

Strasburg's innings limit next season will be partially predicated upon how many innings he gets under his belt this season.  Strasburg threw 20 1/3 innings during his rehab assignment in the minor leagues.  If they maintain a 70 pitch limit on him and he can average five innings per start the rest of the way out, that would give him a total of 25 innings in the big leagues and a total of about 45 innings for the season.

Washington Nationals super-prospect Bryce Harper injured his right hamstring running the bases in last night's Harrisburg Senators in Akron against the Aeros.  After the Nats 3-1 over the Cincinnati Reds last night, team officials termed the injury a strain and listed Harper as day-to-day.

In the eighth inning of a 4-1 game with Harrisburg in the lead, Harper walked to lead off the inning.  Archie Gilbert doubled to right field, but Harper pulled up lame as he approached third base.  Senators manager Tony Beasley, coaching third base, was the first to reach Harper as he limped into the bag and was quickly joined by a team trainer, who helped Harper off the field gingerly. 

Amateur video showed the two older men supporting Harper on their way off the field, with Harper putting very little pressure on his injured right leg.

Harper finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk.

Should the injury require some time off, the minor leagues have a seven-day disabled list.  But it's also entirely possible that with just a couple weeks left until the culmination of the minor league season, the Nats are overly cautious with Harper and shut him down to get him fully healthy so that the injury does not linger and he can participate in the Arizona Fall League, an instructional league for the baseball's brightest prospects.

Harper is hitting .256/.329/.395 in 37 games with Double-A Harrisburg this season.  Overall, in 387 at bats between Harrisburg and Single-A Hagerstown, Harper is hitting .297/.392/.501 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs and 26 stolen bases.

"All-in-all I was pretty pleased."  Stephen Strasburg, on his first rehab performance.

The last time Stephen Strasburg was on a pitching mound against an opposition was last Aug. 21 in Philadelphia, the scene now etched into the memory of every Nats fan, as the former No. 1 overall pick delivered a pitch to Phillies rookie Domonic Brown, then grabbed his elbow in pain and looked into the dugout as if to say, "Come and get me."

Two weeks short of one year, Strasburg finally took the mound against live batters getting paid to beat him.  Though far away from the bright lights of the Major Leagues, there was still plenty of attention focused on the franchise arm of the Washington Nationals.  There were so many media credentials handed out for the appearance, media members received a list of special instructions and some weren't even able to attend the post-game press conference, as the facilities at Single-A Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium just weren't built with this kind of activity in mind.

When Strasburg was finally let loose on the Greensboro Grasshoppers, he showed all all his pitches, though primarily he threw his two and four-seam fastballs.  He mixed in, by my account, four changeups and three curveballs, none of which drew contact.  He reportedly hit 96-98 on the radar gun for his four-seam fastball.  He threw 31 pitches, 25 for strikes and generated seven foul balls, all on the fastball.

As for the results?  He went 1 2/3 innings and allowed three hits.  His lone run allowed was a solo home run by Grasshoppers catcher Jacob Realmuto; the other two hits were ground ball singles.  He struck out four, including a called strike three on a curveball, and walked none.  In fact, only one batter drew more than one ball on any given at bat.

The team hoped that he would get through two innings before the imposed 30-pitch limit, but when Strasburg struck out the No. 8 hitter on a changeup with his 31st pitch for the second out of the second inning, Suns manager Brian Daubach came out to get the ball from his starter.

After his appearance -- and a conditioning and therapy session -- Strasburg met the media.  He seemed matter-of-fact about his performance, ready to take the next step, probably Friday night either for Single-A Potomac or Double-A Harrisburg.

"I knew the velocity was going to be there, just the way I was throwing in Florida," Strasburg said. "Obviously, it's still not where it was, but you've got to start somewhere. I was pretty happy with the command. You've got the adrenaline going out there, and you really don't know how you're going to feel, as far as being able to throw the ball where you want to throw it. But I went out there, and once they said, 'Play ball,' I got that feeling back real quick."

Strasburg talked a bit about the excitement to pitch competitively again.  "I was super-excited to get back out there.  It's been close to year since I've pitched against another team.   I wanted to go out there, throw a lot of fastballs; that's the real foundation I wanted to set.  I wanted to work on my fastball command.  Just go out there and have some fun."

As for his pitch selection, Strasburg said, "The curveball came back a little bit today, which I'm pretty happy about.  Obviously the off-speed is the last thing that comes, so all-in-all I was pretty pleased."

"Every time I step back on a mound it gets a little bit more sharp."

As I wrote back in the spring, the most important development for the Nationals this season was the recovery and rehabilitation of Stephen Strasburg.  There are those that like to listen to themselves talk claiming the Nats are rushing Strasburg back this season to sell tickets, and it's rubbish.  This is the timeline set for Tommy John recovery.  It's a 12-18 month process, and Strasburg is getting the first taste of actual pitching again.

As with most Tommy John survivors, his velocity was good.  The velocity and strength come back first, but the command and control are the part that take the next six month to a year to regain.  And Strasburg's command and control are what separate him from the other hard throwers.  We've witnessed Jordan Zimmermann progress through his recovery this season to regain his elite command, and it's a process the Nationals hope Strasburg follows to the letter.

Zimmermann will be shut down in a couple weeks after three or four more starts as he reaches his team-imposed innings limit for this season and it's entirely likely that Strasburg takes his place in the rotation.  Strasburg will then be limited to 160 innings or so next season as Zimmermann was this season.  Hopefully everything goes according to plan for both pitchers, and at the start of the 2013 season the Nats can line these two up at the top of their rotation without limitations.

Strasburg took his next step toward that goal in Hagerstown on Sunday, and looked pretty good doing it.

***Quotes borrowed from published sources, including MASNSports.com

At first blush, the outlook looks pretty grim.  In two starts, Chien-Ming Wang -- the Taiwanese Michael Jordan -- has put up some pretty ugly numbers.  After yesterday's 6-4 to the Atlanta Braves, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Washington Nationals, Wang has allowed 12 runs -- six earned -- in nine innings pitched.  That works out to a 6.00 ERA that's being gracious as to how well he's really pitched due to the errors that have allowed half the runs he's given up to go unearned.

Wang has allowed 15 hits and two walks in that time frame, for an unsightly 1.889 WHIP.  And the kicker: he's struck out just two hitters.  These sound like the numbers a Single-A non-prospect would put up if he were suddenly injected into a Major League rotation.

But this isn't a Single-A non-prospect we're talking about.  This is a guy that had back-to-back 19-win seasons and was on his way to a third when a base-running incident of all things derailed what was once a very promising career.  He has finished second in a Cy Young vote and started Game One of a playoff series when he was with the New York Yankees.  This is a guy that you look for the silver lining with.

The silver lining is there if you want to look for it.  And the Nats will.  They've been very patient with Wang over the last two years, essentially paying $3 million over the last two seasons for his rehab from major shoulder capsule surgery. 

Both his starts have followed the same pattern:  Get roughed up in the first, dominate in the middle, get roughed up in his last inning.

In his first start, Wang walked the first batter on four pitches, none of which were within six inches of the plate.  It's safe to say he was nervous.  But he then allowed the next four batters to reach as well, and before half the crowd was in their seats he'd given up four runs on 24 pitches in the frame.  He then only needed 24 pitches combined to get through the next two innings, inducing ground balls to retire six out of seven batters faced.  Then in the fourth inning, more trouble.  He got a couple pitches up, there was an infield error on a potential double play ground ball, and two more runs scored.

Yesterday was very similar.  The first inning resulted in two runs.  A ground ball that just eluded a fielder went as a single.  Then a stolen base and two ground outs scored the first run.  Another ground ball single and walk set up the second.  Then for three innings Wang was solid, allowing just one hit that was erased by a double play ball.

In the fifth, his throwing error on a comebacker opened the flood gates.  Maybe he got tired, maybe he was rattled by the error.  But Wang did get two outs without a run scoring until he left pitches up and over the plate to Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla, the last a hanging breaking ball that went for a home run that manager Davey Johnson called "a poor choice" and Wang's third best pitch.

"I mean, he had a good sinker," Johnson said. "He was getting a lot of groundballs. You show [the slider], but you make it bounce. You don't leave that waffle ball right out over the plate. In that situation, if you're going to get beat, go strength to strength. That's part of, I guess, coming back after a long layoff."

But Johnson noted the progress from the first start to the next.  "Everything was a lot crisper." Johnson said.  "He looked stronger.  I thought his ball was moving more.  I was pleased.  The error kind of opened the door for them a little bit and then he made a couple of bad pitches." 

"It was a step in the right direction."

So he's having periods where he's showing the pitcher he once was.  He's always given up a lot of base hits, it's what sinker ball pitchers do.  Jason Marquis and John Lannan are the same way.  Sometimes the ground balls are hit at someone, sometimes they get through.  But it's hard to hit line drives and fly ball against sinkerballers, so those hits that get through are usually singles and teams are forced to string several together to score.  It's a tough way to have to go about things.

But you also have to have impeccible defense behind pitchers like that -- especially in your infield, and in both of Wang's starts, errors started the unraveling.

Wang is throwing strikes, having walked just two in two starts.  He's got decent velocity, sitting 89-91 with his fastball and touching 93-MPH.  His arm strength will continue to build as he adjusts to throwing to Major League hitters again.  He needs to settle himself better in the first inning.  Maybe the extra adrenaline of being back on a Major League mound after so much time away is just overcoming him in the first inning, working against him to keep the sinker from falling until he tires a bit from throwing 25-30 pitches.

But the Nationals owe it to themselves -- and to Wang -- to see if he can be an option for the Major League staff next season.  They can't find that out with him pitching to minor league players.  They need for him to pitch against Major League hitting.  They need to allow him the time to see if he can be a big league pitcher again.  It might be unpalatable to some fans who feel the Nats are simply giving up every fifth day while they trot Wang out in what is essentially Major League rehab, and that viewpoint could be understandable.

But the competitive portion of this season is over.  The Nationals traded two veteran players off the big league roster for minor league talent.  They will be shutting down Jordan Zimmermann after a few more starts.  They'll be recalling a couple of young pitchers (and perhaps a position player or two) in the near future to give them a taste of the majors.  And of course, all of NatsTown awaits The Second Coming.

With the investment both the team and the player has made in this, the Nats simply have to give Wang time to succeed. 

According to Mark Zuckerman this morning, citing a report by Florida Today writer Mark DeCotis, Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg threw three innings (51 pitches) of a simulated game at the Nats training facility in Viera, FL against the Nats entry in the Gulf Coast League.  DeCotis, according to Zuckerman, reported that none of the entry-level players could get the ball out of the infield against the rehabbing righty.

Nats manager Davey Johnson said the other day that should today's session go as planned, Strasburg was likely to start a minor league rehab assignment as quickly as this weekend.  If the Nats pitch Strasburg on four days rest, that would mean a start at a minor league park, presumably somewhere near you, on Sunday, August 7.

Both Low-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg are on the road Sunday, so the possible scenario would play out in Hagerstown, where we've already seen Ryan Zimmerman and Chien-Ming Wang make rehab starts this summer, in addition to the media frenzy that surrounded Bryce Harper when he started the season with the Suns.

Strasburg's recovery and rehab is the single most important aspect of the Nationals 2011 season.  Sure, the development of the younger players on the Major League roster is also vital to the long-term success of the franchise.  But it pales in comparison to getting the hopefully future ace of the rotation healthy and back on a big league mound.

The Nationals have developed so much of their long-term plan around Strasburg, 23, being the anchor of their starting rotation.  They envision him being their version of Roy Halladay.  Along with Jordan Zimmermann, 25, who has progressed from his own Tommy John surgery about as well as can be expected, they should form the nucleus of a strong starting rotation for the Nationals for years to come.  It's a lot easier to find mid-rotation starters when you have a legitimate 1-2 punch, something the Nats have never really had since their move to D.C. in 2005.

But it all depends on Strasburg's health.  Zimmermann has had an almost flawless recovery and rehab from Tommy John surgery, returning to a big league mound almost exactly one year off surgery last August.  This season, he has exceeded expectations with his results, being downright dominant at times, pitching to a 6-9 record, but with a 3.12 ERA and 1.101 WHIP, with an outstanding  4.45 K/BB ratio in 21 starts.  His team-imposed innings limit quickly approaches though, as he has about 28 innings left to reach the 160 inning max prescription.

Strasburg will go through the same program that Zimmermann has in his return.  Once Strasburg is sent on a rehab assignment, he'll have 30 days in the minor leagues to start games, building his arm strength and gaining confidence in his arm once again against live batters.  As with Zimmermann, the radar gun speeds should return fairly quickly, but it's the command and control that truly separates Strasburg from the other hard throwers, and that touch won't fully return (hopefully) for 12-18 months after he starts his rehab.

If Strasburg indeed starts Sunday for Hagerstown, his 30-day rehab assignment would end Tuesday, Sept. 6.  Pitching on an every fifth day schedule, he'd be slated to start Sunday, Sept. 4.  That is one year and one day out from his surgery date.  The Nationals enjoy a 10-game homestand from Sept. 2-11, so it's possible -- possible -- Strasburg could make his long-awaited return during that homestand just at the time they'll be shutting Zimmermann down for the season.

The dates could vary due to any number of possibilities, but the bottom line is that Strasburg remains on schedule in his rehab, following the same pattern Zimmermann did last season.  The Nats will not rush Strasburg in any manner, but it's becoming clearer that if he does not have a setback in his rehab, we will indeed see the second coming of Strasburg this season at Nats Park.

Tonight marks the culmination of a two-year journey for Chien-Ming Wang.  Whether it's the beginning of another chapter -- or just prolonging the end of his career -- is the big question that starts to get answered with his first appearance since 2009 tonight against the New York Mets.

You know his history.  He's a two-time 19 game winner for the New York Yankees.  He's been an Opening Day starter and started the first game of the ALDS in 2006.  He's the Michael Jordan of Taiwan. 

Chien-Ming Wang is all of these things.  But he's been shelved so long due to injuries -- first to a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot suffered running the bases during an interleague game in 2008, then to a catastrophic shoulder injury caused by an adjustment to his mechanics dealing with the foot discomfort -- that no one; not the Nats, the legion of Taiwanese media that follow his every move, or Wang himself has any idea what he is now.

Before the injuries, Wang boasted a devastating 93-MPH sinker that generated ground ball out after ground ball out, with Major League hitters continually baffled by a ball that started in the strike zone but darted towards the dirt as it approached home plate, dipping as much as ten inches, leaving them to pound the ball into the turf time and again.

But that was all before the injuries, surgery and extensive -- and lengthy -- rehab.  His injury was compared to the one New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees suffered. The Nationals signed Wang prior to the 2010 season on a $2 million deal with hopes that he'd pitch for them late in the season.  That didn't happen, as the rehab process was slower than anyone anticipated.  The Nats non-tendered Wang after the season, but re-signed him in December last year to a one-year, $1 million deal (plus incentives) and he continued his rehab, appearing in the Nats' instructional league, where reports had his fastball in the low-to-mid eighties.

In late June, the Nats finally decided it was time to send Wang out for a rehab assignment, and he performed admirably in six appearances, all starts, across all levels of the Nats farm system.  He went 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.116 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings pitched.  He struck out 17 (5.3 per nine innings) while walking just four (1.3 per nine).  His fastball generally sat in high eighties to 90-MPH, and touched 91-92 on occasion.

The Nationals don't know what they are going to get out of Wang the rest of the way.  If he bears any resemblance to the Wang of 2006-07, when he was arguably one of the better pitchers in the game, the Nats will have been rewarded for their patience and could potentially have found a veteran starter to add to their future rotation plans.  If upon his return he just can't get Major League hitters out anymore, all it cost the team was a bunch of money.

We'll start to find out tonight either way.

It could have been worse.

John Lannan, the Washington Nationals starting pitcher, was cruising, having registered five of his first 10 outs via strikeout.  In the top of the fourth, however, he ran into some trouble.  With one out, he gave up consecutive singles to bring up Colorado Rockies cleanup hitter Ty Wigginton.  On a 1-1 count, Lannan tried to bury a fastball in on Wigginton's hands, but the stocky slugger put a good inside-out swing on the ball, driving it right back at Lannan.

Lannan tried to get his glove up to protect himself, but it was no use.  The line drive hit him on the right cheek below his eye, and caromed all the way into center field for a base hit, scoring a run.  Lannan went down immediately, clutching his face, but got up and immediately headed toward the dugout, blood dripping from his nose.  He was met by a team trainer halfway to the dugout and the pair walked directly into the tunnel toward the clubhouse.

A couple innings later, a team spokesman said that Lannan had suffered a "nasal contusion", and was considered day-to-day.  After the game, it was reported that Lannan was taken to the hospital for further observation, but team officials expect him to be okay.  With the upcoming All-Star break, the Nats are hopeful he won't even have to miss a start.

Manager Davey Johnson addressed the play after the game.  "It's a manager's worst nightmare. We're very fortunate that it didn't do a lot of damage.  That ball was smoked. The good news was he got his glove up to deflect it off so he didn't get it too bad. I think he's gonna be alright."

"I don't know how he didn't end up with a broken nose."

Lannan was extremely fortunate that it was a glancing blow with his head turned.  It could have been much, much worse it he'd taken that line drive flush to his face.

As for the game, Ryan Mattheus entered cold but got a ground ball to force Wigginton at second, setting up runners on the corners with two outs.  But he balked in Todd Helton from third for the second run of the inning and gave up rookie Cole Garner's first MLB single and RBI that scored Mark Ellis.

The three runs were all the Rockies needed to defeat the Nats 3-2, before an announced crowd of 19,046 at Nats Park.  Washington managed just eight base runners all night on six hits and two walks, with three of those base runners coming in the bottom of the first with no outs. The Nats loaded the bases on a Roger Bernadina double, a Danny Espinosa walk and a Ryan Zimmerman infield single, but could only muster one run, as The Shark scored on a Michael Morse sacrifice fly.

The only other run for the Nats came on a no-doubt solo shot from Wilson Ramos in the bottom of the fourth.

But the most important development of the evening is the health of John Lannan.  He did not speak with media following the game, but we'll publish an update tomorrow when more becomes available.

___________________________________________________

THE GOOD:  Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard combined for four scoreless innings.  It wasn't always easy or pretty, but they both got their jobs done last night.

THE BAD:  Bottom of the ninth, Michael Morse led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Brian Bixler.  Jayson Werth struck out on a slider in the dirt and the ball momentarily got away from Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta. Bixler broke for second but was gunned out easily, erasing any momentum for a comeback.  Rick Ankiel struck out on three pitches to end the game.

"Bixler was just being aggressive late, I like that instinct," Johnson said.

THE UGLY:  Obviously, Lannan's injury.  Hopefully it's just a bad bruise and the black eye and headaches go away quickly for the lefty.

THE STATS:  Six hits, two walks, six strikeouts.  1-for-3 with RISP, four LOB, one GIDP.  No errors.

NEXT GAME:  Saturday against the Rockies at 7:05 pm.  Jason Marquis (7-3, 4.11) faces Jason Hammel (4-8, 4.31).

NATS NOTES:  Before the game, C Pudge Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day D.L. with a strained oblique muscle, sustained during batting practice Thursday.  Jesus Flores was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.  Flores pinch-hit in the seventh and struck out.

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson announced in his pre-game press conference that rookie right-handed relief pitcher Cole Kimball will be lost for the season due to rotator cuff surgery, to be performed next week.

Kimball originally went on the disabled list June 10, coincidentally the start of the Nats' eight-game winning streak.  He tried to throw this week but was still in discomfort.  The Nats sent him to a specialist in New York who did an enhanced MRI which showed the tear.

Kimball, 25, made his MLB debut this season, pitching in 12 games.  He went 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 14 innings.  In 12 appearances for Triple-A Syracuse this season, Kimball did not allow an earned run in 13 2/3 innings, going 1-0 with five saves in 12 games, striking out 14.

The loss is potentially devestating for the promising young reliever and the Nationals.  The success rates for pitchers with rotator cuff surgery are not nearly as high as with elbow ligament replacement surgery ("Tommy John" surgery).  It's not necessarily a death sentence to Kimball's career, but his road back will be long and not guaranteed.

The Washington Nationals placed veteran catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez on the 15-day D.L. with a right oblique strain and recalled catcher Jesus Flores from Triple-A Syracuse.

From the team's press release:

Flores, 26, joins the Nationals after batting .234 (49-for-209) with 15 doubles, five homers and 30 RBI in 56 International League contests with Syracuse. Eight of Flores’ 20 extra-base hits this season have come in a 20-game stretch beginning June 8.

Flores returns for a second stint with Washington this season. He went 1-for-2 for the Nationals during a nine-day stint with the club in April. Flores is a career .260 (150-for-576) hitter with 30 doubles, 16 home runs and 99 RBI in 200 games with Washington spanning portions of four campaigns (2007-09, ’11).

The 39 year-old Rodriguez is currently batting .214 (25-for-117) with seven doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI in 39 games with the Nationals. Washington will especially miss Rodriguez’s game-calling expertise and throwing arm, as he has thrown out 10 of 22 would-be basestealers (45%) this season.

Fan-favorite Flores had been hitting better recently with the Chiefs, but a 3-for-26 skid in his last seven games has knocked his season numbers back down.  Flores will probably receive limited playing time while with the Nats unless Rodriguez misses more time than expected.  Outfielder Rick Ankiel recently missed three weeks with a similar injury.

Garrett Mock was a big leaguer.

For parts of three seasons, Mock pitched for the Washington Nationals.  Acquired by the Nats with Matt Chico from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Livan Hernandez in August 2006, Mock compiled a 4-13 record with a 5.17 ERA in 55 games, including 19 starts.  He could always strike batters out (career 8.0 K/9), but his control was equally "impressive", walking nearly five batters per nine innings.

Mock won a job in the rotation in 2010 with a good spring training (and precious little competition), but was ineffective in his first start, giving up four hits and walking five in 3 1/3 innings in an 8-2 loss to the New York Mets.  After that game, the Nats tried to send Mock back to the minors, but it was revealed that Mock had sustained an injury to his cervical spine on the right side of his neck, requiring surgery.  He made a few rehab appearances in the minors at the end of 2010, going 1-3 with a 4.33 ERA in six starts across four levels of the minor leagues.

Mock, now 28, was hopeful that an off-season of rest and strengthening would allow him to throw better in the spring and compete for a job with the big league club in 2011 once again.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Ineffective during spring training, Mock was an early cut, optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on March 11.  Mock was terrible for the Chiefs.  In his three starts, he gave up 12 earned runs (9.53 ERA), nine hits and walked an astounding 17 batters in 11 1/3 innings, striking out 10.  Mock was placed on the minor league seven-day disabled list April 22, then reactivated for one start for Class-A Potomac where he pitched well, going six innings and allowing just four hits and two walks, striking out six.

That earned him a trip back to Double-A Harrisburg, where he's been even worse.  In two starts for the Senators, including last night's train wreck, he has pitched 7 1/3 innings total, allowing 11 earned runs on 12 hits and three walks, striking out just five.

In total, he's made six minor league starts across three levels this season.  He's 0-3 with a 8.39 ERA, allowing 23 earned runs on 25 hits and 22 walks, striking out 21.

It appears that the accumulation of injury has taken its toll on Mock, to the point of no longer being able to be effective even at Double-A.  Maybe something else is wrong with him physically.  Maybe it's mental.  Maybe it's nothing more than nature taking its cruel course.  But with the wealth of starting pitchers in the Nationals minor league system right now, Mock is very quickly running out of opportunities to prove he still belongs.

Mock was once a promising prospect and made a handful of starts in the Major Leagues.  We should all be so fortunate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo confirmed Tuesday night after the Nats 8-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals that 1B Adam LaRoche will indeed have season-ending labrum surgery Thursday under the care of team doctors.

"We had a meeting with our medical staff today and Adam and his representatives and the decision's been made for Adam to have surgery.  He's gonna have surgery Thursday here in Washington by Dr. [Wiemi] Douoguih and he'll begin his rehabilitation and if all goes right he'll be 100 percent by beginning of spring training."

"Obviously we're hoping it's just a clean-up," Dr. Douoguih said.  "But we'll be prepared to do everything needed to get him healed and properly treated and get him back for spring training next year."

The rehab process will depend on what the doctors find once they get into his shoulder.  If they only need to do a clean-up procedure, LaRoche's recovery will be 3-4 months.  If the damage and repair is more extensive the recovery will take up to 6-7 months.

"[LaRoche] was disappointed, frustrated that he couldn't help the club more than he had," Rizzo added.  "He feels that he let his teammates down. But this guy did everything he could to stay on the field.  He's a tough guy and tried to battle through it and just couldn't perform enough to do it and the pain after the rehab just didn't allow him to continue."

"Everything we did was to try to safely get [LaRoche] out there and produce this season," Dr. Douoguih explained.  "As soon as we recognized that this was something more problematic we did a standard program, we shut him down, put him on anti-inflammatories. We then progressed to an injection. We shut him down after that and gradually tried to work him back in.  Everything we did was gradual, really textbook.  Unfortunately he just wasn't able to get through that and he's now requiring surgery."

LaRoche's season ends after 43 games where he hit .172 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.  The Nats signed the veteran first baseman to a two-year, $16 million contact with a club option for 2013 this past off-season.

"I think an extra week is better than getting hurt again." Ryan Zimmerman, on being patient with his rehab from abdominal surgery.

It had been a long time since Ryan Zimmerman played Class-A ball. He played four games for Class-A Savannah in 2005, the year he was drafted, and two more for Potomac in 2008 on a rehab assignment.  That's the situation he was in on Sunday, suiting up for the Low-A South Atlantic League Hagerstown Suns.

Zimmerman is rehabbing after surgery on a torn abdominal muscle, and Sunday was his first game action since April 9, when a head first slide into second base on a throw to third triggered enough discomfort to be evaluated. The original prescription was rest, but when the pain lingered doing simple baseball activities, he was re-evaluated, revealing the need for surgery.

If Sunday's game was a test, Zimmerman aced it.  He went 2-for-2 with a double, triple, walk, RBI and two runs scored in a 6-5 win for Hagerstown over the visiting Greensboro Grasshoppers. 

The Washington Nationals third baseman hit third, ahead of last year's No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Harper.  Unfortunately, Harper's day was over after one pitch. 

With Zimmerman at first base after walking on a couple of close pitches, Greensboro starter Jheyson Manzueta hit Harper in the left knee, one of three Suns to be hit by Manzueta on the afternoon. Harper stayed down for a minute while being attended to by trainers and Hagerstown manager Brain Daubach, and limped heavily off the field under his own power.  After an inning in the Suns' dugout, the phenom made his way down the right field baseline to the clubhouse behind the Suns bullpen.  After that short of a time, he was already walking with just a slight limp.

The ball hit Harper's left knee, his back leg.

Harper was evaluated in the clubhouse, and later joined his teammates in the bullpen to watch the final innings of the game.

A.J. Cole, one of the Nats highly ranked prospects from last year's draft, started for Hagerstown.  He pitched five innings, allowing four hits and no walks, striking out eight, earning the win.  He allowed two solo home runs.

Zimmerman spoke with media members after he left the game in the fifth inning after his three plate appearances.  The Nationals have not revealed where Zimmerman's next assignment will be, but Zimmerman was adament that he would not return to the big league lineup until he is 100 percent healthy.  The following is a transcript of those remarks.

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How did it feel to be back:  "It was good.  Good to get back. Obviously it went well. It's still a little sore, but it's getting close, so it's good."

On Harper getting hit:  "He'll be all right, it's more precautionary. But it's fun to come down here and play. This team is obviously doing very well, they have a great team and great group of guys and it's fun to see how they go about their business.  Yeah, he's good, he's fine.  It was more precautionary than anything."

On his slide into third on the triple: "No more head first slides, supposedly. It felt good, everything felt great. Obviously throwing was the thing that hurt it the most before and that's the last thing that's coming back.  We still have a little bit of work to do there, but other than than, hitting feels great, running feels great and I think we're right on schedule to where we want to be. That doesn't mean I'm going to be back tomorrow or in two days, or whatever, but it was a good first step and we'll go from there."

What adjustments in his throwing: "Just being more efficient, I think.  It's a good time to work on that with this happening and now having to strengthen the core a little bit and use my legs a little bit more.  Just something we're trying to parlay into being a little more efficient.  So it's coming along good. It's a learning process, it's something new.  Just like anything that's new it takes a while to learn. But it'a good first step today and we'll go from there."

Getting into a hitting rythym:  "Hitting is usually the first thing that comes for me.  It's more of just getting out there and getting into shape.  Getting into game shape, running, like I did today.  I was out of breath pretty good for a little while after that triple, so you gotta be able to do things like that; score from second base and not be out of breath for half an inning.  So that's the biggest thing."

His next assignment:  "We haven't really talked about it yet.  I'm just excited to be able to be out there and be back again and we'll go easy at first, go a couple days at a time and see how I feel and then go from there."

Playing at the Low-A level:  "It's different. It's fun though.  It's fun to come down here and see...some of these guys are 18, 19 years old and to see them now and you know, this is where everyone starts and you get to see this then you get to see the finished product.  They got some good talent here and they're a good group of guys. The coaches do a great job of getting them ready. They play the game hard, they've had a good first half. You know, I came in here and the first things they said was you better help us win today cause it's a big game.  They do all the right things, it's a good group right here."

How soon will he return to the Nats:  "I think the biggest thing is to not come back too early.  I think an extra week is better than getting hurt again.  That's the one thing I've had to learn, is patience on this.  As frustrating as it's been, I think it's helped me grow up a little bit as far as things that you go through hat you've never gone through before.  You gotta learn from them.  Patience is one thing I've learned from here. I've always been taught to play through bumps and bruises and I think, like every baseball player, you're always taught that.  But gotta distinguish between bumps and bruises and things that are going to hinder your performance.  So I want to make sure I'm 100 percent so that I don't need to go back up there and play two games, take a day off.  When I go back up there it's game on and it's ready to go.  That's not fair to those guys, to come up there and kinda be babied.  So whenever I'm ready and feel like I'm 100 percent then I'll go."

Will he play in Hagerstown again?:  "I don't know. I'm definitely going to play another minor league game.   I don't how many, but we'll get a few more."

Tough being out with Nats offense struggling?:  "Yeah, it's tough. It's tough to see some guys maybe be hitting out of place. I think it's tough because I know how hard they work. I know how hard Rick [Eckstein] works. You know, it's tough to not have a consistent lineup at the big league level and perform. Those guys are out there grinding every night and working hard to get up there and get ready and it's tough tot watch. But for them it's a learning experience as well. Some of those guys are bring put in situations that they might not have been put in this year if we hadn't had a couple injuries and hopefully they can learn from that and be a better player and help us win later on down the road."

On a "special" day in Hagerstown: Any time you get to go down to a minor league affiliate, the fans in D.C. and Baltimore around this area love baseball.  Obviously the Orioles have been here forever and we're newer, but our fans base, I think they're very supportive. Any time we get to come down to a more low-key atmosphere like this where you can interact a little more, it's nice for them to be able to come out and maybe get a little bit closer to watch you, to watch you do things they wouldn't be able to watch at the big league level.  We owe it to them to do as much as we can to say thank you for what they've done and it's always cool to come down and do that.

On how Harper is progressing:  "I think he's good. He struggled a little bit at first, which might have been good for him.  He's going to have to learn to fail and get through that.  Everywhere he's been he's probably been the best player on his team and the best player in the league and done whatever.  It gonna happen at the big league level where you're the worst player on the team for two weeks.  It's not fun, but you have got to learn how to handle it.  We continually say you have to remember that he's an 18-year old kid.  For him to go through and be as polished and as mentally focused and grown-up in that sense as he is is pretty impressive."

"He can hit. That's one thing. You don't really have to talk about that. We just talked about how he was doing, how he's adjusting to playing every day, going from city to city.  That's the biggest adjustment, is playing the game every single day.  Obviously he's handled it well and has been playing well and with all the pressure that's been put on him just like it was on Stephen [Strasburg], I think they both have done a great job and exceeded expectations."

On the Greensboro pitcher's nerves: "Yeah, any time you get to face guys that are in the big leauges, that's what every player that's on that field wants to be in. i think it's cool for them to get a sense of how they measure up or what they do compared to what we do and it's cool to see those young kids kinda get a smile and play against us and maybe look a few years in the future and see what they can do."

Is returning for the Nats next homestand realistic?  "Anything's realistic, I think. There's really no way to put a timetable on it because everyone's different and I've never had this injury before. There's still some scar tissue there -- which is normal -- to get broken up and the more I play the more I am able to get out there and be active and do things like I did today, the better it's going to be. The only way to get that out of there and loosen it up is to play.  Like I said, I'm not going to go back if I'm 75-80 percent. I don't think that's fair to me or the team. it could be a week, it could be whatever. I don't like putting timetables on things cause then you don't want to set people up to bring them down. We're going to continue to do everything we've done. We've had positive reactions out of my body and we'll go from there."

Did it feel good to play baseball again?  "Yeah, it's nice. It's a lot better than watching, I'll tell you that much. It's hard. It's not easy to sit back and watch and even when they're in town, go to the field and watch. I think the biggest thing that you miss is being competitive. All of us, that's why we play the game.  We obviously love baseball, but to be out there when it's you against the pitcher, or when the ground ball is hit to you, it's you against the runner, that's what we thrive for. So to not be able to do that for a little bit over a month now is tough."

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Harper in pain after getting hit in the first inning.



**See additionals photos on our Facebook page**

BULLPEN ALLOWS FOUR RUNS IN LATE INNINGS SPURRED BY WALKS

The Washington Nationals seemed to have things going for them last night, as they took a 6-3 lead into the late innings with a rested bullpen.  But as is their way right now, the Nats couldn't seal the deal, and the Milwaukee Brewers scored four runs across the seventh and eighth innings to snatch victory from the Nats, 7-6, before 24,722 at Miller Park.

Washington has lost four in a row, six of seven, and nine of 12.  The loss lowers their overall record to 21-27 and their road record to 10-18.  Milwaukee has won five in a row.

The Nats cruised through the middle innings with a three-run lead.  But Tyler Clippard gave up two runs in the seventh on a massive Rickie Weeks home run after walking veteran light-hitting middle infielder Craig Counsell with one out.  Clippard managed to get through the rest of the inning with a one-run lead intact.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Sean Burnett to start the eighth, and he did his job, retiring Prince Fielder on a grounder to third.  At that point, Riggleman had his choice of right-handed relievers.  Unfortunately, Riggleman chose Henry Rodriguez instead of Todd Coffey or Drew Storen. 

Rodriguez (L, 1-1, 2.53) immediately allowed a line drive single to Casey McGehee. The fireballer was then able to strike out Mark Kotsay on a 100-MPH fastball for the second out of the inning.  But Rodriguez lost the strike zone, walking pinch-hitter Brandon Boggs, a lifetime .209 hitter -- on four pitches.

The following Jonathan Lucroy soft liner down the right field line that drew chalk was almost predictable.  Two runs scored on the play, and all that was left was for Brewers closer to walk a tightrope after striking out the first three batters of the ninth inning.

Axford K'd Laynce Nix and Roger Bernadina easily to start the ninth.  He should have ended the game with a swinging strikeout of Ian Desmond, but Lucroy couldn't handle the breaking ball in the dirt that Desmond swung through and Desmond hobbled down to first  in obvious discomfort, perhaps a recurance of the quadriceps injury that forced him to sit a game last week. 

Axford then ran into some trouble, as he allowed a looping single to Jayson Werth and walked Wilson Ramos to load the bases for Michael Morse, who in the third inning hit his first career grand slam.  Unfortunately for the Nationals, Axford found his composure and did not allow Morse to be the hero, coaxing a lazy fly ball from the new first baseman to end the game.

The bullpen implosion robbed Livan Hernandez of a win.  The Nats starter pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four.

The final game of the series is today at 1:10 pm, pitting Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43).  The Nats then head home for a six-game homestand.  I'm sure they are looking forward to some home cooking for a little while.

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THE GOOD:  Michael Morse went 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam, the first of his career.  He's hitting .282 now for the season.

THE BAD:  Roger Bernadina went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, dropping his average to .246.

THE UGLY:  Both late inning rallies were started by walking light hitters.  Craig Counsell and Brandon Boggs shouldn't scare anybody, and neither are threats to hit one out.  But Clippard and Rodriguez couldn't find the strike zone to either of them, allowing more dangerous hitters to come to bat with runners on in the seventh and eighth.

THE STATS:  11 hits, three walks, nine strikeouts.  4-for-11 with RISP, eight LOB, two GIDP.  E: Espinosa (4)

NEXT GAME:  Today at Milwaukee at 1:10 pm.  Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43)

NATS NOTES:  During the game, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reported 1B Adam LaRoche, placed on the 15-day D.L., was injured more extensively than previous reported.  Not only does he have a large tear in his labrum, LaRoche also has a small tear in his rotator cuff.  LaRoche told Ladson by phone, “Hopefully a miracle happens so we can get it playable. If not, I’m not going to milk it here and hope for the best. If this doesn’t work, I’m pretty sure I’ll make the decision to get it fixed.”

Multiple reports earlier today indicated catcher Jesus Flores will be recalled to take Ryan Zimmerman's place on the roster when the Washington Nationals move the third baseman to the disabled later today with an abdominal strain, originally sustained during spring training and re-aggravated in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the New York Mets, when he slid headfirst into second on a play that didn't even draw a throw.

It's great for Flores, finally making his way back onto the big league roster after missing much of the last two seasons dealing with two different shoulder injuries that eventually needed corrective surgery.  The Nats really needed a right-handed bat off the bench, and this move addresses that more than the need to carry a third catcher.

But it's telling that the Nats have to handcuff themselves defensively when their first move to recall a right-handed bat from the minors is to summon a third catcher.  Usually when a player gets hurt, the team will recall a player at that position to take his place. 

Currently at AAA-Syracuse, the only 3B listed on the roster is Alex Valdez.  I dare you to tell me who he is without clicking on the link.  Brian Bixler is capable of playing the position, but he's a middle infielder by nature and hits like one when he's in the big leagues.  So you can see where the Nats hands are tied on this thing.

The other complicating factor is Adam LaRoche's various injuries.  Already hampered by a partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder for which he missed Saturday's game, he sustained a leg injury in Sunday's game and was lifted for a pinch-runner, forcing Pudge Rodriguez to finish the game at first. 

Flores is insurance should that circumstance happen again, but LaRoche's injury situation is not going to go away.  Even slightly torn rotator cuffs don't just get better, especially while playing with it -- they need surgery.  Its just a question of whether he can get through the season playing with the discomfort.  LaRoche has maintained that it hurts when he throws but it's not affecting his swing.  But loss of joint stability is going to affect strength, whether it hurts him or not.  Pain is the symptom, not the injury.

If LaRoche needs to be disabled at some point, the Nats will have to go to a deeper option (hopefully) than making Pudge the full-time 1B, but again, the options aren't enticing.  The organization wants Chris Marrero to see a full season of AAA pitching, and the other option is journeyman Michael Aubrey.  Either one would be a serious drop-off from the league average production they expect to get out of LaRoche.

All this leaves the Nats in a very precarious position.  Jerry Hairston and Alex Cora, two players much more suited for backup roles at this point in their careers, become the starting third baseman for three-to-four weeks while Zimmerman convalesces.  Jayson Werth slides into the No. 3 slot.  Most likely, Jim Riggleman moves Rick Ankiel, of the .312 lifetime OBP, into the two-hole and rookie Wilson Ramos into the fifth or sixth spot, depending on the progression of Michael Morse.

And look out if Morse doesn't start hitting.  He doesn't have to hit like he did in spring training, but it would be nice if he could start hitting like he did last season.  But we've been through all that exhaustively.

Not ideal, with six games at home this week with playoff contending Philadelphia and Milwaukee.  Hold on to your hats and pray for good pitching, NatsTown.

According to multiple reports citing a club source, the Washington Nationals will put 3B Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day Disabled List, retroactive to Apr. 10, before the start of tomorrow's 7:05 game with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Zimmerman aggravated the abdominal strain he originally sustained in spring training, causing him to miss three games in March, sliding headfirst into second base in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the New York Mets.

Zimmerman (.357/.486/.536 in 37 PAs) was one of the precious few actually producing at the plate in the first nine games of the season.  He and 2B Danny Espinosa are the only Nats regulars hitting over .250 and losing hit bat -- and presence -- in the middle of the lineup will be a serious blow to this Nationals offense.

The Nats are hitting just .217/.321/.328 as a team, and at exactly 4.00 runs per game are in the lower third of N.L. teams in scoring.  Subtract Zimmerman from that?  Not pretty.

Already this season we've seen teams pitch around Zimmerman, and his absence will be huge.  The Nats are expected to fill in with Alex Cora and Jerry Hairston at third base, and so far there's been no indication of the corresponding move from the minor leagues.  The team could really use a right-handed bat off the bench though.

This is a very early test of the caliber of players GM Mike Rizzo acquired this off-season for backup roles for this team.  It's not an ideal situation to lose your best player not two weeks into the season, but this is what the Nats are now faced with.

Additionally, Adam LaRoche left Sunday's game with a strained groin.  He's expected to return to the lineup, but he's also suffering discomfort with a left rotator cuff tear.  Were he to go down now for any length of time it would truly test the organizational depth.

Either way, this is not the news anyone wanted to hear, especially to kick off a series with the Phillies.

Washington Nationals third baseman and Face of the Franchise Ryan Zimmerman will miss "a couple days" according to reports this morning with an aggravation of an abdominal strain he suffered during spring training attempting to slide headfirst into second base in Saturday night's 8-4 loss to the New York Mets.

The team has indicated that Zimmerman will be re-evaluated Tuesday before the six-game homestand with the Phillies and Brewers.

Alex Cora will start at third in Zimmerman's absence for today's 1:10 pm game.

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STARTING LINEUPS

NATIONALS: Desmond-6, Ankiel-8, Werth-9, LaRoche-3, Morse-7, Espinosa-4, Pudge-2, Cora-5, Marquis-1.
METS: Reyes-6, Harris-7, Wright-5, Davis-3, Pagan-8, Duda-9, Emaus-4, Thole-2, Young-1.

My second post for MASNSports.com is up this morning, and in it I discuss the right arm of the franchise, Stephen Strasburg, and his new challenge of recovery and rehabilitation from the dreaded "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery.

Strasburg's full recovery won't be for another year, but if he can follow the map that fellow TJ survivor Jordan Zimmermann laid out last summer, we could see the phenom pitch for the Nationals in September.  Even one or two starts, after a summer of rehab in the low minors, would be a bonus, and add a glimmer of hope for 2012.

Please check out the full post at MASNSports.com.

(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)



News reports filtered out yesterday about Washington Nationals wunderkind Stephen Strasburg tossing a baseball for the first time since that fateful day last August in Philadelphia, when the hopes and dreams of everyone in NatsTown were crushed by the shredding of ligaments in the man-child's right elbow.

It's extremely good news to hear Strasburg's recovery is going as planned.  But let's not make too big a deal over this, okay?



The reality of the situation is that it takes 12-18 months to recover from Tommy John surgery.  We were witness to that very scenario last season, when Jordan Zimmermann made his triumphant return to the bigs 12 months and two weeks after his very own TJ surgery -- to mixed results.

Zimmermann had several encouraging starts, and a few where he, well, struggled.  It's common for the velocity and strength to come back first, and we saw that with Zimmermann.  But it's the command and control that TJ survivors find taking longer to come back, to get the feel of pitching again. 

Both Zimmermann and Strasburg throw hard enough and can be dominant (high K/9 rates), but in both cases, it's their impeccable control and command that separate them from the rest of the pack.

You might be wondering what the difference between control and command are.  As explained by Ron Shandler's Baseball Forecaster, control is just that: throwing strikes -- the ability to keep runners off the bases via walks -- and command is the ability to be successful at both not walking batters and striking them out.

Dominance.  Control.  Command.  The three elements of elite pitching.

Pre-injury, both Zimmermann and Strasburg showed they had these elements.  Strasburg's excellence was easy to see at the Major League level; Zimmermann's was still a bit of projection.  But based on his minor league performance, we didn't have to look too hard -- Zimmermann dominated each level of the minors as he took each age-appropriate step towards the bigs.

This spring, we'll see if Zimmermann can regain the touch he had pre-surgery.  It's not a "written in stone" conclusion.  Most hopeful early expectations from some other Nats-centric sites have Zimmermann settling in as the de facto ace of the staff this season until the anointed one will reclaim his spot in September, and the duo will lead this team to the promised land starting in 2012.

It's good to have hope, but let's temper the optimism with the reality that both of these arms are coming back from major surgery, and look at this realistically.  It might take Zimmermann all season to get the touch back that had led him to be so successful thus far in his short professional career.  It might not return to pre-surgery levels at all.



(C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

Does that mean he can't be a functioning member of the rotation?  No.  We can hope for the best. But there's a real reason that all of the independent, stat-based pre-season projections have Zimmermann for less than what fans would call a "normal" season.  There's a good chance he'll miss time with various soreness as his rebuilt elbow learns how to function again under the stress of pitching.

And the same thing is going to happen with Strasburg.  If -- and it's a big if -- he's able to follow the same impressive rehab schedule that Zimmermann did, the best-case scenario is that we see him in September for a few meaningless starts outside of a pennant chase.  Those starts will mean more to him and his competitive nature than it will for the ballclub. 

It won't really be Stephen Strasburg pitching, even if he is hitting the mid-90s on the radar gun.

For that, he'll need all of next winter to have a normal off-season: strength, conditioning, etc.  Not rehabbing from an injury.

Then, in 2012, he'll go through the process that Zimmermann will go through this year.  Learning to to pitch again, and battling his own body getting used to the violent torture of throwing a baseball every five days.

I don't write these words to depress anyone, just a few days before pitchers and catchers report.  Like I said, we can hope for the best.  But history tells us that it takes 12-18 months to recover from Tommy John surgery.

Nats fans are hungry for a competitive ballclub.  They got a taste of it last season every time Strasburg took to the mound.  But then the injury.  It was like smelling a steak cooking and then watching the cook throw it in the trash.

But let's allow these two precious arms to fully recover from the trauma of surgery before placing unrealistic expectations on them.

Nats fans might not see this again until 2012. (Photo by C. Nichols/Nats News Network)

The Washington Nationals announced this morning that Stephen Strasburg has a "significant tear" in the Ulner Collateral Ligament in his right elbow and will "probably" have Tommy John surgery, pending a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum, an expert in the procedure.

The typical rehabilitation time from this type of procedure is 12-18 months.

"We've got the dry MRI, we've got the MRI arthrogram, we've got two different doctor's opinions," General Manager Mike Rizzo said. "We feel it should be a typical Tommy John rehabilitation, and this is going to be no different."

The surgery and resultant rehab will likely rob Strasburg completely of his 2011 season, but the list is long of pitchers that have had this procedure to return to previous or better results.

Regardless, this is devastating news to legions of Nats fans, and baseball fans in general.

Team doctors who performed both MRIs on Strasburg believe it was an acute injury, sustained last Saturday in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.  Strasburg threw a change-up to OF Domonic Brown and winced in pain, calling for the trainers immediately after feeling pain in his elbow and forearm.

NatsTown has been in a daze since, waiting for the two words no one wanted to hear:  Tommy John.

"It's a tough day for him and for all of us, for everyone who's a Nats fan," Team President Stan Kasten said on the conference call with reporters this morning. "But we saw Jordan [Zimmermann] come back last night. A year from today, Stephen will be joining him."

RHP Jordan Zimmermann made his return to the mound last night 12 months and two weeks from his Tommy John surgery date.  It's now consecutive years that the Nats have lost their top pitching prospect to an elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery.

The team is confident though that the handling of Strasburg's development was proper and industry standard.

"It's frustrating, because this happens to people you think it shouldn't happen to," Rizzo said. "This player was developed and cared for the correct way. Things like this happen. Pitchers break down. Pitchers get hurt. We're satisfied with the way he was developed. I know Scott Boras [Strasburg's agent] was satisfied with the way he's been treated, and Stephen is also. We're good with that."

"Frustrated, yes. Second-guessing ourselves, no."

Strasburg's rookie campaign ends with a 5-3 record, 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings.  His K/9 rate was the highest in the MLB for starting pitchers.

Strasburg was obviously disappointed in the diagnosis, but Kasten said he's already determined to come back better than 100%

"He was upset Monday," Kasten said.  "This is tough news for a kid with this kind of future and the high expectations he puts on himself. This is a high-achievement oriented kid."

Some of the biggest names in baseball have had the same procedure:  former Cy Young winner Chris Carpente; the Braves' Tim Hudson and Billy Wagner, the Yankees' A.J. Burnett, the Cubs' Ryan Dempster, the Twins' Francisco Liriano and the Giants' Brian Wilson all are among the names of Tommy John survivors.

Nationals fans take little solice in those words, though.  It's somewhat ironic that the Nats find out that Strasburg needs TJ the same day they introduced their 2010 No. 1 overall pick, OF Bryce Harper, to the fans and media at Nationals Park. 

According to Rizzo and Kasten, Strasburg requested the announcement be delayed until after Harper's big day.

Any goodwill generated from yesterday's festivities have certainly been quashed with the sobering news that the "Greatest Pitching Prospect Ever" will miss the next 12-18 months.  It's entirely possible that the next time Strasburg takes the mound the 17-year old Harper might actually be challenging for a spot on the roster.

And it certainly casts a pall over any negotiations with Adam Dunn and any other possible free agent over the off-season.  It's questionable at this point, without Strasburg to lead the pitching staff, whether it makes sense to sink big dollars into players for next season, or to wait until the off-season before 2012 when hopefully Strasburg makes his triumphant return.

Regardless, this diagnosis opens up plenty of questions for Kasten and Rizzo about the franchise moving forward.  What should have been an off-season full of possibilities now turns into more waiting.