Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Thursday that Strasburg (ribs) "feels a little bit better" than he did since landing on the injured list June 13, but the right-hander has yet to resume throwing, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Martinez wasn't willing to officially rule Strasburg out for the season, but the 34-year-old's lack of recent throwing activity along with the Nationals' status as a non-contender makes it highly unlikely that the three-time All-Star will pitch again in 2022. At this stage, Martinez noted that Strasburg is focusing on strengthening his shoulder since being diagnosed with a stress reaction of his ribs two and a half months ago, according to Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com. Since Strasburg won't require another procedure to address his latest injury after he previously underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last July, the Nationals are seemingly optimistic that he'll be a full participant for the start of spring training.