Read More: Chien-Ming Wang (P – WAS), Jordan Zimmermann (P – WAS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), New York Yankees, Washington Nationals

It looks like the Washington Nationals have indeed re-signed Chien-Ming Wang, according to multiple reports by several local media members. The deal is pending a physical, according to Ben Goessling of MASN Sports, who had the news first. Wang will receive a one-year contract, according to reports from several local beat writers. The amount of money Wang will make is still unclear.

UPDATE: Wang will make $4 million, according to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman.

Wang has been with the Nationals for two years, but spent most of that time rehabbing reconstructive shoulder surgery. He appeared in 11 games in the second half of last season, going 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA. The Nationals envision him as a back-of-the-rotation starter behind Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. The 31-year old is best known for his work with the New York Yankees, whom he pitched for during the first five years of his MLB career.

For more on Wang and the rest of the Washington Nationals, visit Federal Baseball.

Read More: Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Washington Nationals

Stephen Strasburg’s pitching schedule for the month of September was laid out by Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson in a pre-game press conference with reporters Friday. Strasburg has already made one start, and Johnson said that his next three starts will occur at home.

Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

The Nationals have planned Stephen Strasburg’s scheduled so he will make his four starts back from Tommy John surgery at Nationals Park, at which point he will either make one road start on the season’s final day or conclude his major league season.

Those four starts are as follows.

Strasburg could then start on the road against the Marlins on September 28 on four days rest if so inclined. That decision would ultimately be up to the Nationals.

Read More: Ivan Rodriguez (C – WAS), Jesus Flores (C – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have reinstated veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the 15-Day DL says a Press Release from the organization. “Pudge” has been on the disabled list since July 7th with a strained right oblique. From the Press Release:

Rodriguez missed the last 47 games after being placed on the DL on July 8, retroactive to July 7, with a right oblique strain. The 39-year-old is batting .214 with seven doubles, two home runs, 19 RBI and 13 runs scored in 39 games this season with Washington.

In four games during his rehab assignment, Rodriguez hit .250 (3-for-12) with a double, one home run, one RBI and three runs scored with Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League and Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League.

Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Rodriguez just finished up rehabbing with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators and catching Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg’s final rehab start this past Thursday. The Nationals will now have to decide what exactly what they are going to do with Rodriguez and the two other catchers on the roster, Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores. Flores, will probably be the odd man out.

Pudge’s return can be viewed as only a positive for the team. While Rodriguez might not light up the world with his bat and glove these days, he still has some kick and is a comforting clubhouse presence.

By Jeff Sullivan

– Editor

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Sep 2, 2011 – The Washington Nationals have been eyeing a September 6 return for Stephen Strasburg to the major leagues. The final hurdle he had to clear was a Thursday-night rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg. Strasburg made that start, and it went pretty well. From the game report:

Stephen Strasburg allowed one hit over six shutout innings Thursday night for Double-A Harrisburg in what was expected to be his final minor league rehab start before he returns to the Washington Nationals.

Featuring a fastball that hit 99 mph, the No. 1 pick from the 2009 draft left with Harrisburg leading Portland 9-0. He struck out four and threw 70 pitches, 53 for strikes.

Six innings. One hit. Three strikes for every ball. A fastball that reached near triple digits. And, according to various reports on Twitter, lots of offspeed pitches as well. If that sounds like Stephen Strasburg, that’s because it’s Stephen Strasburg, as if nothing ever happened.

Well, not exactly. He did stop at 70 pitches. Strasburg is still in the process of coming back from major surgery, so the stamina hasn’t yet built up. But he has been throwing more and more every time. His pitch counts for his six minor-league rehab starts:

31
33
49
60
64
70

Strasburg’s building up his arm, and as he’s built up his arm, he hasn’t lost anything in the way of stuff. His fastball is still getting up there, and his curve is still sharp (although not always as sharp as he wants it to be). About the only indication that Strasburg was ever hurt is that he’s been coming out of games early, but he’s been going deeper and deeper, and on Tuesday, facing the Dodgers, he should work deeper still.

It’s expected that Strasburg will throw about 80 pitches next week. The time after that, perhaps 85 to 90. The time after that, he could exceed 90, and the time after that, he could very well reach 100. Strasburg’s in line to make four or five starts with the Nationals before the season draws to a close, and by his final go, he could be completely back to what he was before the whole mess.

Which is kind of the point of giving him time. Some wonder whether it’s worth it for the Nationals to bring Strasburg back to pitch in September, thereby pushing him and risking injury. But for the Nationals, not only is Strasburg good for attendance and buzz – using him gives him a chance to get stretched out and re-acquainted with the major league experience, a part of preparing for 2012.

All eyes will be on Strasburg next Tuesday, and for the rest of the season, but I don’t think people will be curious so much as they’ll be looking for Strasburg to confirm what they already figure: that he is just fine, and that the injury’s behind him. Tommy John is more of an inconvenience than anything else these days, and from all indications so far, Strasburg has emerged just peaches. There’s no reason to expect that to change as he moves from the minors to the majors.

Stephen Strasburg is finally back. That’s good for the Nationals, it’s good for baseball, and it’s good for all of us. It’s good for everybody, really, save for those who have to stand in front of him.

Read More: Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Washington Nationals

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Slideshow

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitches for the Class A affiliate Hagerstown Suns, in Hagerstown, Md., Aug. 17, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) — Former top draft pick Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his 2011 debut with the Washington Nationals next week, Manager Davey Johnson said Tuesday.

Strasburg, the first-overall pick in 2009, underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery last year and has been in the minor leagues all season recovering from the procedure.

Johnson said the fire-balling right-hander is due for a final minor league start at Class AA Hagerstown Thursday, and if that goes well he will make his 2011 major league season debut Sept. 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Strasburg posted a 5-3 record with an ERA of 2.91 in 12 games for the Nationals last season before going down with the elbow injury. He struck out 92 and walked 17.

Washington Nationals pitcher
Stephen Strasburg, who dazzled fans in 2010 until injury ended
his rookie campaign, is expected to make his first start in
over a year next week, the team said on Tuesday.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who has been recovering
from elbow surgery since last August, is scheduled to make his
much-anticipated return at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers
on Sept. 6.

Strasburg, 23, who will make his final rehab start on
Thursday for Double-A Harrisburg, will likely pitch no more
than five innings against the Dodgers next week, according to
Nationals manager Davey Johnson.

The highly rated Strasburg made a sensational Major League
Baseball debut last year, going 5-3 with a 2.92 ERA and 92
strikeouts in 68 innings before his campaign ended prematurely
due to elbow surgery.

Strasburg, the first pick in the 2009 draft and the ace on
the Nationals pitching rotation, had Tommy John surgery to have
the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow replaced.

The procedure is named after a former Major League pitcher
who was the first professional athlete to successfully undergo
the operation in 1974.

MILWAUKEE — Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has thrown off a bullpen mound as part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Washington manager Jim Riggleman says Strasburg was expected to throw at about 50 percent Monday in Viera, Fla. Strasburg had been throwing off flat ground.

The overall No. 1 pick from the 2009 draft seemed excited about his return. He posted on Twitter: “First bullpen in the books. Felt great! Hopefully time will speed up now!”

The 22-year-old pitching phenom had ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow Sept. 3. It is expected to take 12 to 18 months for him to return to the majors.

Strasburg struck out 14 in his big league debut last June and went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts.

By Mike Prada – Senior Editor

Read More: Ivan Rodriguez (C – WAS), Adam LaRoche (1B – WAS), Matt Capps (P – MIN), Adam Dunn (DH – CWS), Nyjer Morgan (CF – MIL), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Jordan Zimmermann (P – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), Drew Storen (P – WAS), Bryce Harper (CF – WAS), Washington Nationals

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Mar 31, 2011 - Sports, by nature, are measured by the scorecard, and baseball is no exception. Score more runs than your opponent, and you have had a successful game. Score more runs than your opponent more frequently than not, and you will have a successful season.

By this token, the 2011 Washington Nationals are very unlikely to have a successful season. One could argue that there is even less talent on the roster than it was last season, with the injury to phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg and the departure of Adam Dunn in the middle of the lineup. At the very least, they are unlikely to be much better, and while there’s been a nicer buzz at Spring Training, given the strength of the NL East, that’s unlikely to result in much this season. In a town that — let’s be honest — is as fickle as it is with its support, and with a fanbase that’s experienced so much losing for six straight season, it’s easy to think this means the 2011 season doesn’t really matter.

But that’s what makes the 2011 Nationals so unique. Even with Strasburg sidelined and Bryce Harper still not ready to be in the Majors, this is an important year for the franchise. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post described the Nationals as a team “caught between its present and its future.” That’s an odd way of phrasing it, but it’s also on point. What Boswell really means is that 2011 will be known as the Year of Player Development.

Forget Strasburg and Harper for this year, because this year isn’t as instructive for either of them. Strasburg is rehabbing, and Harper is too young. No, 2011 is the year where we figure out whether some of these other youngsters can be a part of this franchise in the long term. The Nationals will enter 2011 with many regulars that are being counted on in some capacity in the team’s future, but have either yet to receive enough of a chance to prove it or have to make the most of their chance. The success of 2011 will be determined not by wins and losses, but by the development of these players.

If they develop well, suddenly, we’re not talking about a future of a couple stars and nobody else. We’re talking about a future contender that’s deep enough to protect its two stars and have the kind of balance needed to win in the playoffs.

Specifically, we’re talking about the following players: Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Wilson Ramos, Michael Morse, Jordan Zimmermann and Drew Storen. Baseball’s not really a sport about “supporting casts” as much as it is a sport where you want as much top-to-bottom talent as possible, but in a way, these six players are the six most likely candidates to make up the “supporting cast” of the mythical Strasburg-Zimmerman-Werth-Harper era. 

But to get there, each player has questions they must answer with their play in 2011. Namely:

Can Desmond be a better fielder? Can he get on base enough to hit leadoff? The Nationals handed Desmond the starting shortstop job last season, throwing him into the deep end right away and hoping he could fend for himself. In the end, he was OK, but he wasn’t great at getting on base (.308 OBP) and he committed a ton of errors (34, to be exact). Some blame a lot of those errors on Adam Dunn’s defense, so will having Adam LaRoche instead make a big difference? It’ll have to, especially with the Nationals’ insistence on being a defense-first team. Strong defense starts up the middle, and with Nyjer Morgan gone, Desmond is definitely the weak link there. 

As for his hitting, the Nationals moved him up and down the lineup, but this year, he’ll have to hit leadoff with the departure of Morgan. Can he handle that? Desmond has decent skills, and he’s certainly young enough, but it’s a big jump. They need him more this year; that’s for sure.

Can Espinosa and Morse follow through on their big performances in small sample sizes? Espinosa took everyone by surprise in September, belting six home runs and showing off a ton of power, but now the league knows him, and he will need to respond. Morse, meanwhile, isn’t young, but will get his chance to be an everyday player for the first time after an unbelievable spring training. Are these stretches both flashes in the pan, or are they the start of something greater? 

The Morse situation is interesting. The Nationals believed in his spring training success so much that they made him their No. 5 hitter in the lineup. (Of course, they may have no other options, but I digress). Statistically, Morse was fantastic last year, but as Dave Nichols of Nats News Network noted, that was because he was hitting primarily against lefties. Now, he’s going to have to hit against righties more, and that’s going to be a challenge. Throw in less lineup protection, and it’s not being a Debbie Downer to say he’s going to struggle.

Can Ramos actually make an on-field impact? Ramos was very highly-touted since he came to the Nationals in the Matt Capps deal last summer, but with Ivan Rodriguez being the legend he is, Ramos hasn’t had a chance to play. But Pudge can’t hold up forever, and Ramos will likely get a shot this season. He’s got to show some signs that he’s a long-term answer at the position.

Is Zimmermann fully healthy? Zimmermann, of course, went through the same Tommy John process Strasburg is going through now, and his health is a great unknown. Prior to the injury, he looked like a potential front-line starter, but you never know what happens after a surgery like that, even today. Zimmermann will begin the year as the No. 3 guy, but the Nationals need him to emerge as the best non-Strasburg starter they have. 

Can Storen close? I agree with the baseball folks who suggest that closers are overvalued, but I do think there is value in having someone you know who can shut down teams at the end of games. Storen, so far, has been a wreck as a closer after being so solid as a regular old reliever. He had his moments last season, then had a poor enough spring training where the team in going closer by committee. This is the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft that we’re talking about, and to the best of our knowledge, he’s not hurt. He needs to come forward and anchor the bullpen in whatever capacity.

These questions won’t dramatically affect the team’s win/loss record this season. The supporting cast is just too old and too unproductive to make it work. But if these players can live up to their potential, suddenly, all that’s left is subbing in a Harper, a Strasburg and a few big free agents into the holes that exist. That part of the job is much easier than having to wonder whether the young players are worth keeping around. 

Let the 2011 Year of Player Development begin in NatsTown. It’s not the sexiest motto, but it’s still accurate and important. 

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WASHINGTON — Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has begun throwing as he moves forward with his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The right-hander, operated on Sept. 3, began a “soft toss” program in San Diego with a physical therapist, the Nationals said Thursday. He will start a more formalized throwing program when he arrives at spring training in Viera, Fla.

Recuperation time from the surgery is usually 12 to 18 months.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year, striking out 14 in his major league debut.

The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg signed for a draft-record $15.1 million.

WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has begun throwing as he moves forward with his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The right-hander, operated on Sept. 3, began a “soft toss” program in San Diego with a physical therapist, the Nationals said Thursday. He will start a more formalized throwing program when he arrives at spring training in Viera, Fla.

Recuperation time from the surgery is usually 12 to 18 months.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year, striking out 14 in his major league debut.

The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg signed for a draft-record $15.1 million.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year. (J. Pat Carter/Associated Press)

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has begun throwing as he moves forward with his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The right-hander, operated on Sept. 3, began a “soft toss” program in San Diego with a physical therapist, the Nationals said Thursday. He will start a more formalized throwing program when he arrives at spring training in Viera, Fla.

Recuperation time from the surgery is usually 12 to 18 months.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 earned-run average and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year, striking out 14 in his major league debut.

The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg signed for a draft-record $15.1 million US.

WASHINGTON — Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has begun throwing as he moves forward with his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The right-hander, operated on Sept. 3, began a “soft toss” program in San Diego with a physical therapist, the Nationals said Thursday. He will start a more formalized throwing program when he arrives at spring training in Viera, Fla.

Recuperation time from the surgery is usually 12 to 18 months.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year, striking out 14 in his major league debut.

The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg signed for a draft-record $15.1 million.

WASHINGTON — Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has begun throwing as he moves forward with his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

The right-hander, operated on Sept. 3, began a “soft toss” program in San Diego with a physical therapist, the Nationals said Thursday. He will start a more formalized throwing program when he arrives at spring training in Viera, Fla.

Recuperation time from the surgery is usually 12 to 18 months.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts as a rookie in 12 starts last year, striking out 14 in his major league debut.

The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg signed for a draft-record $15.1 million.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Stephen Strasburg(notes) says his rehabilitation is “on track” and he hopes to start throwing a few weeks before spring training.

“It’s going great right now,” the Washington Nationals pitcher said Monday during a telephone conference call from San Diego. “I’ve been making big strides.”

A Washington Nationals trainer talks with pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) just prior to him leaving the game with an injury in the fifth inning against the Phillies.
(Howard Smith/US Presswire)

Strasburg’s sensational rookie season was cut short by reconstructive elbow surgery in September. He said he’s getting physical therapy three times a week, in sessions of two to three hours, and that he’ll emerge “probably in a lot better shape” than he ever was.

Strasburg said he will see his doctor after the holidays to get an indication of when he can start throwing. He’ll continue to work out near his San Diego home, hoping to get in a few weeks of throwing before rejoining the Nationals when pitchers and catchers report for spring training in February.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 12 starts this year, including 14 strikeouts in his major league debut.

He said part of his therapy involves work with his shoulder because previous cases have shown that shoulder problems can follow after the elbow is healed.

“We don’t want that to happen, obviously,” Strasburg said, “so we’re strengthening up everything.”