Stephen Strasburg Ready For the Long Haul

He is not expected to spend any time in the minor leagues rehabbing this year. There will be no September call up. If the Washington Nationals advance to post season play in 2013, he will be expected to help pitch them to the World Series.

Stephen Strasburg has been given a clean bill of health and will spend an entire season in the Nationals’ starting rotation for the first time in his career. No one is happier than the ace pitcher himself as he showed up a day early to spring training.

After being drafted number one by Washington in 2009, Strasburg has yet to spend a full season in MLB. In 2010, he was called up in June and pitched 12 games before suffering an elbow injury which led to Tommy John surgery. Strasburg spent most of 2011 in the minors rehabbing before being called up to pitch in September. Last season, the Nationals put a 160 innings pitch limit on him and he was shut down in September.

This season, Strasburg expects to be available to start every fifth day for Washington. The ace felt that he could have continued to pitch last season and was not happy with the organization for ending his season. With nothing holding him back in 2013, Strasburg hopes to pitch a full season for the first time in his career and win 20 games. After going 15-6 last season, there is no reason to believe that he can’t do it.

The Nationals are counting on having Strasburg at the top of their rotation from April to October as Washington expects to make a serious run at an NL pennant. The combination of Strasburg and returning 20-game winner Gio Gonzalez is expected to give the Nationals one of the best starting rotations in baseball. If both men pitch up to their abilities, they are capable of giving Washington 40 of the 90 to 100 wins they will need to advance to the post season.

Strasburg has waited three years for the chance to show his talents over a full season. There is no greater competitor on the Nationals than him. If Washington is going to be in a race for the NL East title with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, Strasburg wants to be part of it. He came to the Nationals to pitch in big games and missed out on the chance to do so in 2012. Strasburg will do everything in his power to make up for it this year.

A hungry Strasburg will take the mound for the Nationals in 2013.

With a clean bill of health, he will finally get a chance to pitch a full season and show everyone what he is capable of.