Chien-Ming Wang to face hitters Wednesday

The news on Chien-Ming Wang continues to be positive. Wang, who is down at the Nationals' complex in Viera, Fla., rehabbing his strained left hamstring, will throw a simulated game tomorrow. This will be his first time throwing to hitters since suffering the hamstring injury March 15 in a spring training start against the Yankees. The Nationals will continue to take things very slow with the veteran right-hander, but if all goes well in Wang's simulated game, he could be ready to begin a rehab assignment with one of the Nats' minor league affiliates sometime in the next couple weeks. Because Wang is suffering from a lower-body injury, he's still been able to build up strength in his arm while he's been sidelined over the last month. "I think his arm is obviously ahead, because he's been doing a lot of throwing, and I liked where his arm was at (in spring)," manager Davey Johnson said. "I thought two or three more starts (before the injury) and he was going to be really good. I would expect him being pretty dang good arm strength-wise. I'm more concerned about the number of pitches." The Nats have said all along that they plan to bring Wang along his rehab at a very slow pace, but the way their starting pitchers have been performing so far this season, the organization has even less reason to rush Wang along. Washington's starters have delivered a 1.75 ERA through the first 10 games this season, which is the best mark in the majors.