As expected, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg made it through a side session Thursday in Viera, Florida and has been cleared to make his first minor league rehab start on Sunday with Single-A Hagerstown. This according to Adam Kilgore, beat writer for the Washington Post.
Strasburg underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery last September after beginning his major league career with a shiny 2.91 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 92/17 K/BB ratio over his first 68 innings.
The 23-year-old is hoping to make a couple of starts in the big leagues before the end of the 2011 campaign, and it seems like the Nats’ higher-ups are open to that plan. Strasburg won’t be back to 100 percent health, however, until spring training next February.