Stephen Strasburg returns to mound after DL stint

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Stephen Strasburg will end up spending some time on the disabled list, as the 24-year-old Nationals starter deals with a lat sprain.

Strasburg was supposed to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, after being pulled from his May 31 start after only two innings, with hopes that he’d be able to start for the team on Saturday against the Twins. But the team cancelled the bullpen outing and sent him to the DL, dated retroactively to June 1. He’ll be able to return to the active roster on June 16.

Update: Nationals trainer Lee Kuntz told the media later it’s actually a Grade 1 lat strain, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Jon Cooper of MLB.com that the team will wait to see if they need to put Strasburg on the disabled list. Washington has an off-day on Monday, so they could push the starter back or potentially skip a start. Strasburg had been pitching through the pain earlier this season, so the team is hopeful the injury is minor.

Strasburg is 3-5 on the season despite a 2.49 ERA, the 10th best mark in the National League. He has been the hardest-throwing pitcher in the game as well, averaging 95.4 mph on his fastball. The drop in velocity tonight is certainly noteworthy for fans, but as the injury is in his lower back and not in his pitching arm, there is no reason to believe the issue will have long-term repercussions at this point.

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