"[Jordan] Zimmermann recognizes the difference between the decision the Nationals made with him and the one they have made with Strasburg. On the day Zimmermann made his final start of 2011, the Nationals were 18 ½ games out of first place with 30 games to play. This year, the Nationals will be in the middle of a playoff race when they remove Strasburg.

"It would be pretty tough," Zimmermann said. "I’m sure that he’ll have a little something to say. I don’t know if he can change [Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo’s] mind or not. We’ll see when the time comes. We all want him to pitch, but we definitely want him to stay healthy and have him for the long haul, too."