Stephen Strasburg looked pretty good/almost dominant in his first two rehab starts for the Hagerstown Suns and Potomac Nationals, but his third rehab start on Wednesday was a completely different story. Strasburg lasted just 1.2 innings, giving up five earned runs. It wasn't pretty. But while he is trying to work his way back from Tommy John surgery, success in these games may not be defined by his performance, just that he is performing at all. According to Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington, Strasburg thinks a start like this can be a good thing.
"Sometimes it's good to have games like this," Strasburg said. "Because you need to get knocked around a little bit to see what you're doing wrong. I think I learned a lot from this outing. . ."I wanted to go three innings, no matter what. But in the big picture, it's all about pitch counts right now. It's all about just getting your work in. I'm lucky enough to be in an organization where they take really good care of you. For right now, I thought it was a good learning experience."
Strasburg even gave a little bit of a smile while he was delivering these comments, so he really doesn't seem to be so bothered by the whole thing, even though I'm sure he would have like to pitch a little bit better. But the good news about Strasburg's rehab is that it is consistent. He'll have another shot in five days to get back on track.