Rizzo on rehabbing players, den Dekker DFA (Nationals win 4-1)

NEW YORK - Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross have both passed recent tests on their injured arms and both remain on track to rejoin the Nationals' active roster within the next week or so.

Strasburg threw another bullpen session this afternoon at Citi Field, his third in the last week. He continues to ramp things up, but given the fact he hasn't missed much time with a sore elbow, the Nationals believe he'll be able to return without making any minor league rehab starts.

"Everything looked fine," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "So we're hopeful that once his time on the disabled list is done, he can join us."

Strasburg is eligible to come off the DL on Monday. The Nationals likely need a starter for Tuesday's game against the Braves, with Strasburg a strong candidate for that assignment, though that hasn't been decided just yet.

"Before we jump back in, we've got to see his endurance level," manager Dusty Baker said. "It'll probably be pretty soon."

Ross, meanwhile, is scheduled to make his third rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, according to Rizzo. The right-hander, out since July 3 with shoulder inflammation, threw 31 pitches over 1 2/3 innings Wednesday night and should be able to build upon that total in his next outing.

The Nationals did transfer Ross to the 60-day DL earlier today, but that move was purely procedural, clearing one of two spots on the 40-man needed to add call-ups Sean Burnett and Mat Latos. The move was made retroactively to July 3, so Ross is eligible to return whenever he's ready, though the club would need to clear another 40-man spot for him.

The Nationals cleared the other spot by designating outfielder Matt den Dekker for assignment. den Dekker has long been popular with management and the front office, but after hitting .208 with a .290 on-base percentage at Syracuse this season, he was deemed more expendable than others in the system, including Brian Goodwin (who was among today's call-ups).

"It came down to numbers," Rizzo said. "With the emergence of Goodwin, it kind of was a little bit of duplicity there with skillset. It's a tough decision. He's been great for us since we got him. The roster decisions are often painful."

Meanwhile, Stephen Drew appears close to returning after a prolonged absence due to an inner ear condition that left him dizzy for weeks. The veteran infielder began a rehab assignment with Single-A Potomac on Thursday night and wound up reaching base in all three of his plate appearances (a double and two walks).

"He's got to be able to play pain-free and symptom-free," Rizzo said. "He is so far, but we're going to take it game-by-game and see how he feels. Not only as he's playing, but after the game that night, and see where he's at."

Update: They've played three innings so far at Citi Field, and the story to this point involves a couple of rookies: Trea Turner and A.J. Cole. Turner basically single-handedly gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when he singled on an 0-2 pitch off Noah Syndergaard, then stole second, then stole third (without a throw) and then scored on Bryce Harper's sacrifice fly to somewhat shallow center field. Turner now has 20 steals in 44-plus big league games this year. That's quite something. Cole, meanwhile, has looked as sharp as he has in any MLB start to date. He allowed a first-inning single to Asdrubal Cabrera, but that's it through three scoreless innings. The right-hander is pounding the zone, throwing 31 of his 44 pitches for strikes so far. The challenge now: Can he do it the second time through the Mets lineup?

Update II: Make it 2-1 Nationals in the fourth after they manufactured another run, only to give it right back. Harper poked an opposite-field double, then stole third without drawing a throw. (The Nats now have four steals off Syndergaard in four innings.) That set the stage for Wilson Ramos to drive a two-out RBI single up the middle. That's Ramos' 29th two-out RBI of the season, tied for eighth-most in the NL. Asdrubal Cabrera responded, though, with a leadoff homer off Cole in the bottom of the inning, making this a one-run game again.

Update III: We're through the seventh now, and the Nats are still holding that 2-1 lead. Cole did a masterful job tonight, going six innings and allowing only three hits and two walks. Marc Rzepczynski and Koda Glover then combined to keep the Mets from scoring the tying run in the bottom of the seventh, with Rzepczynski striking out a pair of left-handed batters before putting two righties on. No problem, because Glover entered in a big-time spot and promptly struck out Jose Reyes with a pair of 91-mph sliders and a 98-mph fastball. Impressive.

Update IV: That's a final. The Nats got a couple of big insurance runs in the top of the ninth on Anthony Rendon's two-run single. Mark Melancon then finished it off for his 38th save (eighth with the Nats). Final score: 4-1. The Nationals lead the division by 10 1/2 games and we can now start mentioning the magic number, because it's down to 18.