Amid all the hoopla surrounding Stephen Strasburg's highly anticipated debut next week, the other top pitching prospect for the Nationals has been quietly making progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Thomas Boswell reports:
However, the best news is that Jordan Zimmermann, the Nats' only top-of-the-rotation prospect except Strasburg, hit 94 mph in two recent extended spring training games.
"We won't rush him," Kasten said. "But he's going to make it back. That's big for us."
The usual recovery timetable following Tommy John surgery is around 12 to 18 months, and Zimmermann went under the knife in August of last year. It is conceivable, then, that he could be back with the big club at some point this season. He is, after all, already throwing 94 mile per hour gas.
Join me after the jump to take a look at the Nats' potential rotation with Jay-Z back in the fold.
1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Jordan Zimmermann
3. Livan Hernandez
4. John Lannan
5. Chien-Ming Wang
Other candidates: Ross Detwiler, Scott Olsen, Luis Atliano, Craig Stammen, J.D. Martin.
Of course, nothing in this crazy universe is guarenteed. In a worst-case-scenario world, Strasburg would flop, Zimmermann would stumble in his recovery, Hernandez would return to earth, Lannan would continue to look unimpressive, Wang would fail to recapture his Yankee magic, and so on. Actually, let's not re-visit that last sentence, ever.
Instead, let's think about the bright future of the Nationals' rotation, not to mention the amazing headline possibilities for guys like Baseball Jesus, Jay-Z, and Wang.
(H/T Nationals Enquirer)