The climb continues for Stephen Strasburg.
According to Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com, the rehabbing right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) over three innings tonight in his latest minor league rehab start with Class A Hagerstown.
Strasburg, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, gave up two hits while striking out six, walking one and hitting a batter. He topped out at 98 mph on the radar gun and was pulled after throwing 40 out of 60 pitches for strikes.
Strasburg struggled in his previous start with Class A Hagerstown last Wednesday, so while he wasn’t perfect tonight, this outing was certainly a step in the right direction. The 23-year-old is tentatively scheduled to make his fifth rehab start Saturday, either with High-A Potomac or Triple-A Syracuse. While his 30-day rehab clock expires on September 6, it’s possible he could join the Nationals’ rotation as soon as September 2 against the Mets.
