Coming off a rough first half of the season, the Washington Nationals are in desperate need of reinforcements as they try and turn their season around. On Friday, they received it when pitcher Stephen Strasburg was cleared to return from the disabled list.
The 29-year-old last pitched for Washington On June 8, when he left the game after two innings due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. After missing more than a month of action, Washington will now welcome its co-ace back this weekend.
Nats activate Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman. Option Gott and Suero to Class AAA. They have six relievers and six on the bench.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 20, 2018
Strasburg’s return should provide a major boost for a rotation that had a 4.00 ERA in the last 30 days. The right-handed pitcher’s return will allow the team to push Austin Voth back into the bullpen.
Now Washington gains a pitcher who had a 3.46 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 80.2 innings this season. If he is completely healthy, Washington has one of the best starting pitcher pairings in the National League.