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They are the two words no pitcher wants to hear, but for Washington Nationals phenom prospect Stephen Strasburg, it appears “Tommy John” will soon enter his vocabulary.

The right-hander who took baseball by storm this summer appears headed for surgery, much to the dismay of the Nationals organization and baseball fans alike.

It is a very tough blow for a pitcher that not only the Nationals, but Major League Baseball as well, anticipate will be a star for the next decade.

Here is the latest on the injury concerns regarding baseball’s top prospect.

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The announcement was made yesterday that Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg is once again heading to the disabled list with a forearm strain.

After going on the disabled list in late July with an inflamed right shoulder, Strasburg was making just his third start since returning from that injury when he was pulled with the forearm injury.

With so many over-hyped, can’t miss prospects flaming out in the last few seasons, one has to wonder: Is Strasburg the next Hall of Fame hurler, or is he heading for an injury-shortened career that falls far short of expectations?

Why He Is the Next Great Pitcher

The fact of the matter is, the Nationals have nothing to play for right now, and they have no reason not to be overly cautious with a hefty investment such as Strasburg. This could simply be a matter of the Nationals making it clear to him that he is to tell them whenever something does not feel right, regardless how minor it is.

It is important to note that these are unrelated injuries, and there is no reason to think that something like a forearm strain will not be cleared up and no longer an issue after his 15 days are up.

The fact of the matter is, when Strasburg has been healthy, he has been nothing short of amazing and has lived up to the hype. With a sparkling ERA of 2.91 and his as advertised repertoire of pitches racking up 12.2 K/9, he has shown that he can dominate since his 14-strikeout debut.

The Nationals are an up-and-coming team and should be on their way to playing competitive baseball within the next few seasons.

With a solid core of players like Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard, and Drew Storen among others, and fellow phenom Bryce Harper heading up one of the better minor league systems in baseball, the Nationals will certainly be a fun team to watch in the years to come.

Why He Is the Next Epic Flop

While the forearm injury is most likely nothing serious, the earlier shoulder injury is a concern, as there may be no bigger red flag for a hard-throwing pitcher than a shoulder problem.

Strasburg seems to have smooth enough mechanics, but the same was said about the effortless way in which Mark Prior pitched, and he is perhaps the most epic flameout of all-time.

Looking closer at Prior’s case, while he did suffer various other injuries early in his career, it was a shoulder injury in 2006 spring training that led to his downward spiral. He missed three months to open the season and was then shut down in August when the shoulder injury flared back up.

The beginning of the next season ended for Prior before it even started, as he underwent shoulder surgery in spring training of the 2007 season and never pitched in the big leagues again. While this is only one case, it shows how significantly a shoulder injury can flare up time and again. With Prior and Strasburg put on equally high pedestals coming out of college, it is a fair comparison to make.

The Verdict

While it is certainly too soon to write Strasburg off or anoint him the next Hall of Fame pitcher, the early injury problems are certainly enough to make Nationals fans squirm a bit. With the team looking to the future and having little to play for this season, the Nationals have no reason not to be overly cautious with their prized arm.

Time will tell if the arm problems continue, but one thing is for sure: The future of the Nationals will greatly hinge on the health of Strasburg’s right arm.

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So where are the Washington Nationals headed?

Just a couple of months ago, the team was five games over .500 and seemed both ready and able to remain competitive until Stephen Strasburg joined the squad and Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler regained their health.

The Nationals could then move some of their surplus starters into the bullpen and trade away the rest for players who could plug some of the holes on the 25-man roster.

It was thought that the team could then at least remain on the cusp of contention for the rest of the season.

Of course, that never happened. The team went from five games over .500 to 10 games under in just a few days.

Well, it seemed like that anyway.

Now obituaries for the 2010 Nationals are being written across the Internet as you read this.

So which is it? Is this a much improved team or just a carbon copy of the past two years of frustration?

I say forget the past month. But I also say that for the team to redeem itself—and quickly—a few changes need to be made.

The team can get back to .500 by the end of the season, but the front office can’t wait much longer before changing direction.

First, the Ian Desmond experiment needs to come to an end, but just for now. Though I still believe that he will be a top-notch major league shortstop, his poor play has to be eating at his confidence, and his 19 errors are sure hurting the team.

There is nothing wrong with Cristian Guzman finishing the year at short. He doesn’t get to many of the balls that Desmond does, but those he does get to usually turn into outs.

Though Adam Kennedy hasn’t played particularly well thus far (.238/.317/.319), his career 162-game average is .276-8-57. I think that if he plays every day, he’ll play well. 

Nyjer Morgan has to go too.

Look, I love the guy’s attitude and I love his energy and I love his love for the game. But I think we have a large enough sample now to be able to say that he just doesn’t have solid baseball skills. He gets picked off first too often. He takes bad routes to fly balls. He throws to the wrong bases.

And that was just last week.

Roger Bernadina deserves to start in center, and Michael Morse needs the opportunity to show if he is an everyday major leaguer.

Here is my starting lineup with their current statistics expanded to a full 162-game season: 

1B—Adam Dunn: .271-36-96

2B—Adam Kennedy: .238-6-45

SS—Cristian Guzman: .295-3-44

3B—Ryan Zimmerman: .285-29-89

LF—Josh Willingham: .276-30-92

CF—Roger Bernadina: .290-18-80

RF—Mike Morse: .340-30-60

C—Pudge Rodriguez: .301-2-46

Kennedy’s numbers look a little anemic, but given the opportunity to play every day, he’d probably end up hitting near .260 by season’s end, perhaps a little better.

Morse’s stats are skewed because he has just 50 at-bats, but his career 162-game average is .299-10-60 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .425 slugging mark.

Desmond would need to return to the minors to regain his confidence, but Morgan could remain as a backup outfielder, at least for the remainder of the season.

We know that the bullpen is strong, one of the strongest in baseball. It can be the rudder that leads the team back to respectability. No major changes here.

That leaves us with the starting rotation.

Stephen Strasburg is the ace and will wow the league until sometime in early September, when the Nationals will shut him down to save his arm. By that time, former No. 1 pitching prospect Jordan Zimmermann will be ready to take his spot in the rotation.

Zimmermann—who underwent Tommy John surgery almost a year ago—begins his rehab process next week. No, he’s not Stephen Strasburg, but he will be a solid No. 2 major league starter.

Sometime in the next month or two, Jason Marquis will be ready to return to the rotation. He is a former All-Star and will give the team a chance to win every time he starts.

Chien-Ming Wang, who has twice won 19 games in a season, can be a solid No. 3 during the season’s second half.

John Lannan’s struggles in 2010 are an anomaly. He is one of just a handful of major league starters who have finished the last two seasons with an ERA under 4.00 and is near the top of the quality starts list as well.

Lannan pitched very well in his first game with Double-A Harrisburg and should return to Washington sooner rather than later.

Lannan—this season’s Opening Day starter—now becomes the team’s No. 4 starter.

The team could then fill the final spot in the rotation with Livan Hernandez (6-4, 3.10), Luis Atilano (6-4, 4.33), Craig Stammen (2-2, 5.13), or J.D. Martin (0-3, 3.03).

The recent bad times for the Washington Nationals cannot be underplayed, to be sure. However, the problems are easy to pinpoint. The defense can’t be fixed overnight, but it can be patched with the changes at short, second, and center field.

The offense, one of the better groups in the league over the first third of the season, suddenly stopped hitting. That happens sometimes. But they seem to be coming out of their collective funk and might be back to their early season form.

But if the starting rotation can indeed be improved through the additions of the walking wounded—Zimmermann, Wang, Marquis, Detwiler, and Scott Olsen—this could be a team capable of having a sizzling second half.

Sure, there needs to be a little bit of luck involved, but it is not out of the realm of possibility to see the team play above .500 in the season’s second half.

To make it to 81 wins, the Nationals will have to go 47-37 over the next three months.

Is it possible?

If the injured starters return on time, and if they return at their pre-injury levels, and if general manager Mike Rizzo and manger Jim Riggleman are willing to take a chance and redo their up-the-middle defense, then yes. It is possible.

75 wins is more likely, but if they can find a tailwind come August, an 81-81 season is within their grasp. 

Here’s to hoping.

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Stephen Strasburg’s name won’t be added to the long list of can’t-miss prospects who have missed.  Following his historic performance in his Major League debut Tuesday, the sports world is abuzz over his 99-mph heat and devastating slurve.

Strasburg’s dazzling debut was arguably the best moment in the history of the Washington Nationals.  It was a polarizing moment in the 2010 MLB season, which lacks compelling story lines even in mid-June.  It justified the national media’s hype and made the Nats’ a franchise worth covering.

Run away with those superlatives, Stephen Strasburg is here to say.

The Nationals have endured dwindling attendance in the last two seasons and needed something good to happen.  The fortunes of the franchise began to turn when the Nats managed to sign Strasburg out of San Diego State.  A packed Nationals Park Tuesday night was symbolic of how far the Amtrak of Major League Baseball has come. 

The Nationals are being smart about Strasburg, planning to limit him to around 160 innings this season, meaning that he will only be able to make around 12-15 starts at the Major League level before being shut down.  That should be enough to tease the fans and boost ticket sales heading into next season.

The next step is to surround Strasburg, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, and slugger Adam Dunn with a few more pieces.  The Nationals are suddenly becoming an attractive destination for free agents.  Signing phenom Bryce Harper, the top overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft and another Scott Boras client, now becomes the team’s highest priority.

Major League Baseball and the national media is pulling for the Nationals to keep getting better.

Prior to Tuesday night, the biggest moment in the 2010 MLB season was undoubtedly a mistake.  Jim Joyce’s blown call prevented Detroit’s Armando Galarraga from registering one of the most unlikely perfect games in the history of baseball. 

Bud Selig’s legacy has been tarnished with mistakes, from looking the other way during steroid allegations to ending the 2002 All-Star game in a tie.  He opted not to overturn Joyce’s gaffe, opening the door for criticism.  Even with Galarraga on the bump for the first time since the infamous night, Strasburg’s dominated the headlines and overshadowed the perfect game that wasn’t.

Thanks to the national media, Strasburg’s debut created a new snapshot for the 2010 season.

Tampa Bay’s success is a source of enjoyment for baseball purists but a source of frustration for the media, which is hungry to focus on big-market teams first.  The post-steroid era has produced less scoring and more parity, enabling teams like the Reds and Athletics to hover around the top of the standings.  The media needed someone to generate excitement: someone like Stephen Strasburg.

Despite his incredible performance Tuesday, there are certainly a few cautionary tales to suggest that Strasburg could come back to earth. 

Kerry Wood was the last young phenom to throw a slurve.  He used the pitch heavily when he struck out 20 Astros as a rookie, but eventually stopped throwing it and has battled arm problems for much his career. 

The woeful Pirates are batting .236 as team this season and appeared to have given up by the fifth inning last night.

It clearly won’t always be that easy for Stephen Strasburg, but the sports world will be watching for years and years to come.

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“Tremendous!,” “Dazzling!,” and “Holy ****!” were but of the few descriptors I heard while watching Stephen Strasburg pitch the first two innings of his career.

The display was impressive, but I wanted to see the rookie at least be eligible for the win before I enshrined him in the Hall of Fame.

Over the course of the next five innings, Stephen Strasburg did more for Major League Baseball in a single effort than any other player had done in arguably a decade—and he’s not on steroids (Oh god, I hope he’s not on steroids).

The seven-inning, 14-strikeout display put on by the 21-year-old was just what the national media ordered.

Baseball fans have needed a homegrown player that didn’t make out with himself in the mirror, and my goodness, we may just have found him.

Now, we should temper our expectations.

Years of watching pitching phenoms has taught us that very few people on this earth are blessed with arms that can throw a baseball 100 miles per hour, and there are even fewer people that have shoulders that can sustain such an arm.

Lest we forget, Kerry Wood threw a 20-strikeout game against the Astros in only his fifth career start and then went on to have an injury-plagued career. But by that same token, Roger Clemens also threw a 20-strikeout game as a 23-year-old, and by all indications, his career was not so bad.

Don’t assume the Nationals decided to unveil Strasburg against the Pirates, a team that ranks dead last in the league in batting average, runs, and second to last in hits, by coincidence.

While Strasburg’s debut is phenomenal by any measure, make no mistake, the Nationals were going to take every precaution to make sure that the first relevant thing to happen to their franchise since—well, not many notable things have happened to them—was going to go well.

The real test for Strasburg will be consistency. Was this a game against an exceedingly bad team, or was this performance the coming-out party for a player that’s going to go on to win more than 10 games this season?

Strasburg’s next start will come against Cleveland and will once again garner significant fanfare. Because of his great success in his first contest, the pressure on him to perform at a high level may be even greater in this game.

Fortunately for him, the Indians, like the Pirates, are at the bottom of their division and rank in the bottom five in the league in terms of hits, batting average, and runs. So while another performance similar to that displayed last night may be unlikely, given the conditions surrounding the opponent, it may not be completely out of the question.

Regardless of the opposition, Strasburg’s debut at the major league level was nothing sort of legendary. If he goes on to have a Hall of Fame career, it’s a contest we will all reflect on fondly, saying, “I remember that guy’s first game, and even then he was dynamite!” If he ends up fizzling out, he will be yet another cautionary tale we tell others when the next great pitching prospect comes along and is expected to take baseball by storm.

But for the time being, this is going to be fun to watch.

So enjoy him while you can, America—he’ll be in a Yankees uniform soon enough.

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Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut at 7:05 ET Tuesday in perhaps the most exciting Washington, D.C. event to take place since the Obama inauguration. 

Although it will not break any glass ceilings, Strasburg’s debut will mark the beginning of a potentially groundbreaking movement for the D.C. sports scene. 

Acknowledging the inflow of young talent into D.C. in Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and John Wall, one might suggest D.C., like New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, could become one of the top U.S. sports cities in the not-too-terribly-distant future.

At this point, the Strasburg debut is most significant. 

Strasburg is young, talented, and ready. He is on a Major League roster, and has a sizable contract.

Harper and Wall, University of Kentucky’s one-year wonder and this year’s top NBA prospect, are still in the “maybe” column.

Yes, the Washington Nationals drafted Harper Monday and yes, the Washington Wizards had the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, but, as most sports analysts would agree, coaches and franchises must be extremely cautious in putting a lot of stock in their prospects. 

That being said, the addition of Harper and Wall to Washington teams will improve the city’s sports landscape, regardless of where its young guns end up. 

To get an idea of how these new athletes will impact D.C., ask yourself this: Where was Cleveland before LeBron James? 

A complete mapping of the changes that will take place in D.C. is too detailed a subject to deal with for now. 

We just have to wait; if Strasburg pitches well Tuesday, and if Harper and Wall shine like the gems they are, we should be hearing a lot more about D.C. in the next decade.

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Congratulations and welcome to the 3,287th column, article, blog post, essay, profile, feature, kindergarten-free write, and poem you’ll read about Stephen Strasburg this week.

Please feel free to check your coat at the door, and be sure to leave your name and address with my secretary. Your parting gifts will be arriving by mail in seven to 10 business days…

Just kidding, of course.

There’ll be no gifts, at least not from AaronTorres-Sports.com. Instead, tonight’s gift comes from Strasburg himself, when he takes the mound against the Pirates.

Because when Strasburg does make his debut, this will be bigger than just a baseball game. It’ll be a potentially historic event, and certainly the greatest unveiling of an American professional athlete since LeBron James hit NBA courts in 2003.

Arguably, it’ll be the most hyped regular season baseball game in recent memory, and certainly the biggest for the Nationals since the franchise moved to Washington a few years ago.

Maybe the most intriguing part of this game though, is the uncertainty surrounding Strasburg himself.

Either way, buckle up. We’re in for a wild ride.

As I mentioned before, Tuesday night will mark the most anticipated debut of any American athlete since LeBron James in 2003. But the cloak of secrecy surrounding Strasburg makes him the anti-LeBron.

Remember, when LeBron was a senior in high school, most of his games were televised on national TV. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 17. When his single mom bought him a Hummer, it became a national news story.

No, seriously—I remember hearing about the Hummer not from ESPN, but ABC’s World News Tonight .

By the time LeBron actually played his first NBA game, we all felt like we knew him personally. He was already a brand, one of the five most marketable guys in the league.

What makes Strasburg’s MLB debut on Tuesday night so fascinating is that in this 24-hour, ESPNews, Twitter-fueled society we live in, the guy is basically a blank canvas.

(This is just PART of Aaron’s article on Stephen Strasburg’s debut. To read this piece in its entirety, please visit him at www.aarontorres-sports.com )

Seriously, what do we know about him?

Okay, he went to San Diego State and played for Tony Gwynn, I’ll give you that. He was the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft and is represented by agent Scott Boras (also known as Satan’s golf partner). He’s been blowing away overmatched hitters at a rate we haven’t seen since Brendan Fraser played Steve Nebraska in the terrible baseball movie The Scout .

Other than that, give me something on Strasburg. Anything. I’ve heard he drinks a lot of tea. That’s all I’ve really got.

Strasburg is the great unknown.

What kind of pitches does he throw? How tall is he? Let me put it to you another way: If Strasburg was standing next to you at the DMV or grocery store and wasn’t wearing a baseball uniform, would you have any idea who the guy was?

I write about sports for a living, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t know.

Comparing Strasburg to LeBron is easy, but to me the more ample comparison is to Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Yeah, that guy.

The only footage we have of Strasburg is grainy film from the back woods of Syracuse, Harrisburg, and Altoona. The only people who’ve seen him play in person are old scouts named Chick and Red, and honestly, can we really trust someone named Chick or Red?

Could the stories they’re telling possibly be true?

That Strasburg once struck out three batters on nine pitches? That his changeup was once clocked at 97? That he pushed the team bus four miles when it ran out of gas?

Where does the legend end and reality kick in?

Pitching every fifth day only helps. Unlike a position player in baseball, or an NBA or NHL prodigy, we’re getting just enough Strasburg without being overwhelmed. There aren’t game-to-game, minute-to-minute updates. But when he does slip our minds—if only for a second—there he is back on the mound every fifth day twirling a gem.

Strasburg finished the most decorated two-month minor league career in baseball history with PlayStation-like numbers. He went 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA in 11 starts between Double-A and Triple-A, striking out 65 batters in 55.1 innings.

Supposedly he also sold hot dogs on his off days and cured cancer on the team bus during a road trip from Harrisburg to Hershey Park. Supposedly.

All this brings us back to Tuesday night, and maybe the most celebrated regular season baseball game, since…umm…well, I really don’t know. I spent 20 minutes arguing the point with buddy Finn on the phone Monday….

(This is just PART of Aaron’s article on the debut of Stephen Strasburg. To read the rest, please click here , or visit him at www.aarontorres-sports.com .

Also, for his thoughts on all things sports, be sure to follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres and Facebook.com/AaronTorresSports )

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NATS’ HISTORIC APRIL

With no game Monday evening, the Washington Nationals (13-12) can look ahead to their upcoming series with the Atlanta Braves (11-14).

While just one game above .500 now, the Nationals went 13-10 in April, posting a winning record in the month for the first time since the franchise moved to Washington.

With star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman returning after missing eight games so far, optimism abounds at Nationals Park.

EAST UP, A-TOWN DOWN

The Braves, on the other hand, are off to a rough start and currently are in sole possession of last place in the ultra-competitive NL East.

Prior to sweeping their most recent series with the Houston Astros, the Braves had lost nine consecutive games, including sweeps by the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves certainly hope that this three-game sweep of the Astros will help right the ship in Atlanta.

Based on preseason predictions, this team has been a disappointment to date. Chosen by many to finish second in the division and by others to win the NL Wild Card, the Braves are last in the division and 3.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants in the wild-card race.

The pitching staff—featuring marquee names like Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tim Hudson, and Billy Wagner—has been good but not great, with a team ERA of 3.97. The real struggle has been with the bats.

The Braves’ offense has been, well, offensive. The team is 24th in the majors with a .238 batting average, 28th in slugging percentage, and 25th in both home runs and runs scored.

While second baseman Martin Prado has been very good (.354/.414/.475) and right fielder Jason Heyward has played well, the rest of the club has sputtered. Offensive stalwarts such as catcher Brian McCann, first baseman Troy Glaus, shortstop Yunel Escobar, and third baseman Chipper Jones have struggled mightily, hitting .242, .238, .215, and .206, respectively, with six home runs between them.

Nowhere has the Braves’ offensive ineptitude been more pronounced than at the leadoff spot, where Atlanta ranks last in the league with a .195 average. The leadoff spot has primarily been manned by Melky Cabrera, Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, and the aforementioned Escobar, none of whom is hitting than Escobar’s .215.

If the Braves expect to turn their season around, the offense will need to find its rhythm.

WHO’S HOT?

Jason Heyward: 5-for-10, two HRs, four runs, six RBI

Melky Cabrera: 3-for-6, two BBs, three RBI

Omar Infante: 6-for-12, two BBs, three runs

Braves’ pitching staff: four ERs in 27 innings

WHO’S NOT?

…

PROBABLE STARTERS

Tuesday, May 4: Kenshin Kawakami (0-4, 5.48) vs. Livan Hernandez (3-1, 0.87)

Wednesday, May 5: Tommy Hanson (2-2, 2.17) vs. Luis Atilano (2-0, 2.25)

Thursday, May 6: Tim Hudson (2-1, 2.87) vs. Scott Olsen (2-1, 4.35)

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Jason Heyward appears to be coming down to Earth. After lighting the baseball world abuzz with a home run on the first swing of his Major League career, Heyward’s astronomical pace has slowed.

While he is still performing at an extremely high level for a 20-year-old rookie, it seems as if pitchers are beginning to adjust to the Braves star. Heyward has struck out 26 times in just 81 at-bats, so it will be important for him to increase his contact rate.

Despite these early hiccups, scouts have constantly raved about his plate discipline. In addition, he struck out less than half as frequently in the minor leagues (one per 6.34 at-bats) so it can only be expected that his performance will improve.

That said, Heyward is still batting .272/.388/.580 with seven home runs through his first 25 games as a major leaguer, no small potatoes for any player, let alone a 20-year-old. Braves fans can only hope he continues to “struggle” as he is.

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The Washington Nationals promoted right-handed relief pitcher Drew Storen to Triple-A Syracuse.

The move is considered the last step before the 2009 first-round pick makes his plunge to the majors for the second half of the season.

In seven appearances this season at Double-A Harrisburg, the 22-year-old has recorded four saves while posting a 0.96 ERA. In 9.1 innings pitched, Storen has struck out 11 while only walking one.

His latest placement was just one in a line of several successful stops since signing with Washington last summer. In 35 appearances as a professional, he has posted a 1.75 ERA while averaging 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

While the Nationals drafted Storen in an attempt to gain instant help for a floundering bullpen last summer, Washington has upgraded its relieving corps this winter and has had early success this season.

Perhaps most notably, Matt Capps has dominated as the Nationals’ closer this season, saving 11 out of 11 chances while posting a 0.68 ERA. As a result, Storen will likely have to wait his turn to become the Nationals’ full-time closer.

While the 22-year-old may have envisioned being Washington’s full-time closer by 2010, he will likely have to serve as a setup man along with Tyler Clippard to the 26-year-old Capps until he is traded or his contract expires.

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