Last September, Stephen Strasburg had his arm cut open so that doctors could replace one ligament with another. It sounds really severe and horrible, but this procedure is pretty much routine these days, and it was anticipated that Strasburg would make a full recovery. What was less certain was the speed with which said full recovery would be made. Well, it's July 2011, and Strasburg's recovery is apparently a rapid one:
Stephen Strasburg May Return To Nationals In September
Davey Johnson on Strasburg, “We’re optimistic that he’ll come back and give us a few innings this year”.
Strasburg had Tommy John surgery, which frequently keeps pitchers out of action for more than a year. Strasburg's looking to begin a minor league rehab assignment in the middle of August and then return to the Nationals in September. This was always a possibility, but now it appears stronger than ever.
Strasburg has been throwing since February. He threw off a mound for the first time in May, he threw his first changeups in June, he threw his first curveballs a few weeks later, and lately he’s worked up to max effort. He has yet to experience any setbacks or complications.
Given that Strasburg appearances are basically DC-area holidays, Nationals fans will be beyond thrilled to have him back when he's back, even if he just starts out with a few innings in relief. And Jordan Zimmermann's great success after undergoing Tommy John surgery should give the fans confidence that Strasburg will look more or less like himself upon his return.
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