Manager Dave Martinez said ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles that the first priority with Strasburg is to discern what the actual problem is for Strasburg. There’s confusion as to why the 33-year-old can throw long toss without issue yet feels discomfort in his neck once he takes the mound.
Washington hopes this latest visit to a specialist will answer that question while also providing a path forward.
“It’s more of a comfort thing,” Martinez said. “Like I said, he felt uncomfortable after his bullpen sessions, so now we just want him to go see a specialist and see why this is happening. It doesn’t happen to him when he plays long toss. But after he has a bullpen, he feels discomfort up in his neck area. The best thing to do now is have him see somebody else to pinpoint what it is, if it’s anything or if it’s just a muscle thing.”