Strasburg to Hagerstown on Wednesday for third rehab start

The Single-A Hagerstown Suns announced that Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will start Wednesday in his third rehab start as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Strasburg is expected to go four innings and throw a maximum of 60 pitches as he continues his road to a healthy return to the Nationals lineup. Friday in Woodbridge, Strasburg fired 33 pitches, 26 for strikes, consistently hitting 98 mph and once touching 99 mph in the second inning. He threw three shutout innings and allowed only a pair of infield singles. He finished the night by grabbing a come-backer to the mound and easily under-handing a toss to first for the third out. On Friday, Strasburg said a year away from the game has given him a ton of time to think about how he will be a different pitcher next season. "I think I am a little bit more hungry to get back out there," Strasburg said. "I wouldn't say I got complacent, but I didn't really have the experience last year. Once I got up there, I didn't know what to expect. I was kind of still feeling everything. Now I know what it is like up there and I am hungry to pitch as well as I can and help the Nationals win some ball games." The start is in Hagerstown because Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg are on the road and Triple-A Syracuse might be too big a reach right now with where the Nationals want Strasburg to be.