Ribs back in place, Strasburg on track to start series finale

MILWAUKEE - Stephen Strasburg strode into the Nationals clubhouse at Miller Park about three hours before Friday's game, sweat glistening off his face after he threw a lighter-than-usual bullpen session, a necessary hurdle before rejoining the rotation after being scratched from his scheduled Monday start.

Strasburg said he felt fine after an upper back strain forced him out of a marquee matchup against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Monday night, and sounded encouraged that he'd make his next scheduled turn Sunday afternoon.

"I think that's the plan, yes. Everything felt good in the bullpen, so I assume that's the plan," the right-hander said.

Strasburg said he was throwing his between-starts bullpen a day later than normal because of the Nationals' scheduled off-day yesterday. He said that a steady dose of anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxers, coupled with treatment from the Nationals training staff, did the trick and added that he needed to have "a couple of ribs" popped back into place this week after sustaining an injury while lifting weights.

"It was just kind of some freak thing I must have done in the weight room," Strasburg said, tracing the back strain to the rib problem. "I don't know why, but it just kind of threw everything out of synch."

Strasburg is familiar with the domino effect of an injury causing him to alter his mechanics. It happened last year when he hurt his ankle in spring training and struggled most of the year to regain his form. He didn't want to go through the same thing again, especially not after opening the season 10-0 in his first 14 starts.

"I don't think you want any injury to happen," he explained. "But the way it did, I know I don't want to make the same mistake I did last year - No. 1, go out there and pitch not right and not help the team to the best of my ability, and No. 2, potentially be out for a long period of time. Just wanted to try and nip it in the bud."

Popping the misaligned ribs back into proper position set the stage for today's bullpen session, but Strasburg said the relief from the rib problem was more immediate.

"It was more just painful when they were out," he said. "Hard to breathe and stuff like that."

Nationals manager Dusty Baker sounded as if he was ready to go with Strasburg on Sunday against the Brewers. Had he wanted to, Baker could have flipped Strasburg and right-hander Tanner Roark in the rotation, using Roark on Sunday and giving Strasburg and extra day of rest. That would have lined Strasburg up to start Monday in the first of three home games against the Mets.

"If he's encouraged, I'm encouraged," Baker said. "Welcome back."

The odd nature of Strasburg's rib injury didn't faze Baker, who pointed out, "You can hurt your ribs getting in and out of the shower. ... It happens."

* Baker said his desire to use Thursday's scheduled off-day to give left fielder Jayson Werth two consecutive days off coincided with his need to get center fielder Michael A. Taylor back in a game after what he called "a game to remember."

Taylor struck out five times and overran Yasiel Puig's single to center, turning it into a Little League home run that gave the Dodgers a walk-off win over the Nationals on Wednesday night.

So Taylor is back in center field and Werth will come off the bench tonight.

After Wednesday's game, Baker said he talked to Taylor about the miscue, recounting how he made a similar play in Game 3 of the 1977 World Series against the Yankees. Baker told Taylor that his mistake could happen to any outfielder who loses his concentration for an instant, and encouraged him to learn from the mistake.

"I like to get him back on that horse," Baker said, adding that Taylor would return to the bench on Saturday and Sunday as the Nats close out the road swing.

But sitting Werth takes a hot bat out of the Nats lineup. Since June 7, Werth is hitting .389 (21-for-54) with four doubles, a homer and 10 RBIs. He's hit safely in 12 of 14 games.