Nationals' Stephen Strasburg opens spring in prep mode, not rehab

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Stephen Strasburg played catch when the Washington Nationals held their first official workout of spring training on Sunday, and the 2019 World Series MVP sat down for a chat with manager Dave Martinez and pitching coach Jim Hickey to discuss where things stand as he comes back from two consecutive seasons lost to injury and surgery.

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The good news, according to Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo, is Strasburg is no longer rehabilitating from an operation in late July to address neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, a circulatory issue that the GM said is "no longer with us."

And so, Martinez said, the three-time All-Star right-hander is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session Tuesday.

"I’m looking forward to watching that, and then we’ll go from there," Martinez said during a video conference with reporters from the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida. "For him to say that he feels good enough to actually throw to live hitters, that’s a good sign."

Another player expected to be part of the rotation, though, righty Joe Ross, needed a procedure to clean up a bone spur on his pitching elbow last Monday.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg stands on the mound after giving up a two-run home run to St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Carpenter during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

As it is, Ross was coming back from a partially torn elbow ligament that landed him on the injured list in August, and Rizzo said the new issue is going to push back his return about six to eight weeks.

"We’re