Strasburg healthy, not in ‘rehab mode;’ Ross suffers setback with ‘minor’ elbow surgery

There’s good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

The good news: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said pitcher Stephen Strasburg is healthy and preparing for Opening Day. 

The bad news: Rizzo also said pitcher Joe Ross recently had “minor” elbow surgery and will be out six-to-eight weeks. 

Both pitchers had their 2021 seasons cut short due to arm injuries — Strasburg with thoracic outlet syndrome, and Ross with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. 

Strasburg, who signed a seven-year, $245 million contract after leading the National League in wins in 2019, logged only 21 2/3 innings last season and had surgery in July. The disappointing season followed a 2020 campaign in which the right-hander threw only five innings due to a nerve issue in his wrist. 

Rizzo said Sunday that Strasburg is not in “rehab mode of any type” and is preparing for the season, adding that the 33-year-old is in “great shape.”

“The circulatory problems are no longer with us, so that’s a good thing. That was the main reason for the surgery,” Rizzo said. “We don’t have a whole lot of knowledge on pitchers with that thoracic outlet surgery, but I do know that he looks in great shape and he feels good with his throwing program and he’s on pace.”

Manager Dave Martinez said Strasburg is set to throw live batting practice on Tuesday — a sign to Martinez that Strasburg is feeling healthy. 

“He wants to attack spring training as if it’s a normal spring training,” Martinez said.

Martinez watched Strasburg play catch on Sunday and believes the three-time All-Star looks “looser.”

“The fluidity was a lot better,” Martinez said.

Ross, meanwhile, had a setback earlier this month when rehabbing his elbow injury that cut short his solid 2021 campaign in August. Rizzo said Ross, 28, had “minor” surgery last Monday to remove a bone spur from his elbow, adding that the right-hander will be out for about two months. 

“We felt a little relief that it was a bone spur on the tip of his elbow that was making him feel uncomfortable,” Rizzo said. “We felt like instead of pitching through it or doing the anti-inflammatory/rest type of thing, we both figured that it was such a minor surgery, we knock it out and give him his best chance to perform for us for the majority of the season.”

Rizzo also said that reliever Will Harris — who, similar to Strasburg, has barely pitched the last two seasons since signing a three-year, $24 million deal with the Nationals after the 2019 season — is healthy and preparing for the season after missing most of 2021 with thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.