Strasburg on track to return Wednesday vs. Braves

NEW YORK - Stephen Strasburg is on track to rejoin the Nationals rotation Wednesday night, though the rehabbing right-hander hasn't been 100 percent cleared for that assignment yet.

Strasburg threw off the bullpen mound at Citi Field this afternoon, his fourth such session in the last week, and reported no issues. That lines him up to pitch Wednesday, which appears to be the Nationals' plan for now, barring any setbacks.

"Possibly," manager Dusty Baker said when asked if Strasburg would start Wednesday. "But again, we want to see how he came out of today. So, we'll see. That would be big and good news for us."

Strasburg has be out since Aug. 21 with a sore right elbow. He's eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday.

The Nationals have listed Max Scherzer as their starter for Monday afternoon's Labor Day game against the Braves in D.C., with Gio Gonzalez following him Tuesday night. Wednesday's starter is currently listed as "TBA." If Strasburg, for some reason, isn't ready to return by then, the Nats could use rookie A.J. Cole on regular rest.

Joe Ross, meanwhile, is slated to make the third start of his current rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. That's the Chiefs' final game of the season, but the Nationals could find another place for the right-hander to finish his rehab before coming off the 60-day DL.

"We'll see," Baker said. "If he needs another one, then we'll send him someplace where they have a playoff. We'd like to build him up, his endurance up, as high as we can. We miss him. And we'd certainly like to depend on him."

The Nationals still haven't decided if Ross, out since July 3 with shoulder inflammation, will return to their rotation or bullpen for the stretch run.

"I don't know. It depends on how many starters you need," Baker said. "Most times you only use three in the playoffs. If we started the playoffs tomorrow, it'd be (Max Scherzer), Tanner (Roark) and hopefully Stras. So we'll see."

Other injury updates ...

* Stephen Drew is playing in his fourth rehab game with Single-A Potomac tonight and is slated to remain there for Monday's season finale. The veteran infielder has been out since July 24 with an inner-ear condition that caused vertigo-like symptoms, but he appears to be close to returning to the active roster.

"We miss Stephen," Baker said. "Especially (Danny) Espinosa and (Anthony) Rendon. I'm hoping when he comes back, we can put him right in there and give somebody a day off. But he has to be right before we can do that."

* Sammy Solis is "ahead of schedule" in his rehab from left shoulder inflammation, according to Baker, but the manager couldn't offer a more specific timetable than that.