The Nationals announced late Saturday night that starter Stephen Strasburg will be activated from the 15-day disabled list to start on Sunday afternoon against the Reds. The club hasn’t announced what the corresponding roster move will be, but it could mean Lucas Giolito is headed back to the minors.
Strasburg, 27, went on the disabled list retroactive to June 16 with an upper back strain. Effectively, he missed only two starts. The right-hander enters Sunday’s start with a 10-0 record, a 2.90 ERA, and a 118/24 K/BB ratio in 93 innings.
Strasburg made only 23 starts last year due to back issues caused by a fibrolipoma in his upper back -- essentially, a benign tumor which was surgically removed in the offseason. That issue is, as far as we know, unrelated to his most recent issue.
