Stephen Strasburg Injury: Updates on Nationals Star's Shoulder, Ankle and Return

Although the Washington Nationals added starting pitcher Max Scherzer in the offseason, Stephen Strasburg is a key member of the team's starting rotation and an expected front-line starter. Losing him is one of the last things the team needs, but Strasburg reportedly suffered a shoulder injury Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to the visiting Miami Marlins. He also commented on his status and clarified that he is dealing with an ankle injury. He is expected to start Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Continue for updates.

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Strasburg Expected to Start Tuesday vs. Arizona

Sunday, May 10

Strasburg will start Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported (h/t Bill Baer of Hardball Talk).

On May 9, Chase Hughes of Nats Insider revealed that Strasburg has been dealing with an ankle injury as opposed to a shoulder problem:

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Contrary to some reports, Strasburg does not have a problem with his shoulder. It is instead his ankle, which caused him to overcompensate on his pitching mechanics and as a result his back tightened up. He hurt his left ankle late in spring training and was briefly sidelined before the Nats opened their regular season schedule.

Strasburg felt fine after throwing on Saturday and believes he can return to the Nationals rotation early next week if all goes well on Sunday.

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Hughes also provided comments from Strasburg, who spoke about his status.

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"I felt good. No problems. I actually threw for the first time without having my ankle taped up. It was more of a mental thing. I felt good, my ankle didn't feel bad and that helped my alignment be better," he said.

Strasburg plans to play catch on Sunday to test his ankle and back once again, but he thinks the back tightness has been alleviated after seeing a chiropractor.

"It was just night and day. I was happy with it. I thought that's what was going to happen and that's was what happened," he said of the appointment.

With his back tightness now cleared up, Strasburg wanted to set the record straight about his injury, that it had nothing to do with his shoulder.

"It's what caused my back tightness. It was never a shoulder issue. What caused my back tightness was I think an extension of a change in mechanics from my ankle. I just started throwing across my body a little more than I have done in the past," he said.

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On May 6, Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider provided comments from Strasburg, who spoke about his shoulder discomfort: "I've done it before. I think it's probably just something that, for one reason or another, probably creeps up in there sometimes. I've just got to get it fixed and hopefully get back out there for the next one."

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal added further details on his status:

On May 5, ESPN.com reported that the team removed Strasburg from the game after three innings of work due to a shoulder injury. Dan Kolko of MASN reported that the issue is under Strasburg's shoulder blade, according to manager Matt Williams.

After the game, Strasburg added, per Zuckerman, "The best way I can put it: You're driving a car fast over speed bumps. The irritation kind of rattles the cage a little bit."

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

When fans see "Strasburg" and "injury" in the same sentence, most will think back to his elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery in 2010. They'll also remember the Nationals' decision to shut down Strasburg in 2012 ahead of the playoffs.

Since then, though, the 26-year-old has been a model of consistency, making a combined 64 starts over the past two seasons. He's also shown few lingering effects from his elbow injury, making the All-Star Game in 2012 and finishing ninth in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2014.

Washington looks to be one of the stronger teams in the NL despite its rocky start, and Strasburg is a significant reason for that. He's in the prime of his career and part of arguably the best rotation in baseball.

The Nationals' World Series hopes don't rest solely on a healthy Strasburg, but there's no question that having him on the mound would put them in a good position to exorcise those postseason demons from 2012.