Wire Taps: Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg Tightness In Forearm Edition

"That was a tough one, but the main thing," Davey Johnson told reporters after last night's 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, "I was a little concerned about [Stephen] Strasburg. He always has a tendency to shake his right arm -- and him being wild and whatever, I talked to [Steve McCatty], 'Have you talked to him? Because he doesn't look right to me?' And he's still throwing the ball real hard, but I told [McCatty] after he went out in the sixth, 'Get him out of this inning and we'll get you out of there and get you a win.'"

"But I think, I was in there," Johnson continued, "He was in there with the doctor, he's got a little tightness, I think, in his forearm. So they're going to put him on some medication. But you'll get a report from the doctor, but... that was a bad thing in the game. Still throwing good, but his command was way off, so I knew something was off on him."

"I couldn't throw strikes early on," Strasburg said when he spoke to reporters, "I was able to kind of battle through it and keep it close."

The obvious issue early, and throughout the game really, was control according to the pitcher who wasn't sure what the problem was. "I was pulling the ball," Strasburg said, "I mean, can't really say why I'm having a tough time right now in the first inning, but I am, so just got to keep grinding and figure it out."

As for any talk of a possible forearm issue, Strasburg downplayed it. "I'm not missing my next start I'll tell you right now," the right-hander said.

"Did they send you for tests after the game?" a reporter asked.

Strasburg didn't answer. He rolled his eyes and laughed to himself as he walked away.

"What a joke."

• Here are the latest reports from the Washington Post's Thomas Boswell:

Strasburg’s arm is "structurally perfect." He merely felt "irritation in his forearm" Monday. "No problem," said Rizzo. Will make next start

— Thomas Boswell (@ThomasBoswellWP) April 30, 2013

Strasburg irritation may have been caused by normal pre-game use of electrical stimulation on forearm. "Strong as an ox," said GM Rizzo.

— Thomas Boswell (@ThomasBoswellWP) April 30, 2013

LINKS and lots of them, starting RIGHT NOW!!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!:

• "[Davey] Johnson described Strasburg's condition as "a little tightness, I think in his forearm." He said the right-hander was being looked at by doctors, and that 'they're going to put him on some medication.'" - "Strasburg has forearm tightness in loss to Braves" - Mark Zuckerman, Comcast SportsNet Washington

• NATS BEAT:

• "[Stephen] Strasburg, however, said following the game in which he walked four batters and threw nearly 43 percent of his pitches for balls that he felt fine on the mound and that his issues were mechanical." - "Stephen Strasburg dealing with forearm tightness" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "[Stephen] Strasburg said multiple times last night that he felt good on the mound, but didn't provide direct answers when asked specifically about the forearm tightness to which [Davey] Johnson had referred." - "Nationals Pastime: Looking deeper into Strasburg's outing" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson is used to seeing Stephen Strasburg shake out his right arm. He does it often during his starts, whether to stay loose or rid his hand of a little extra sweat." - "Stephen Strasburg's forearm tightness overshadows Nationals loss" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Stephen Strasburg experienced forearm tightness that he refused to admit was a factor in his command issues." - "The Nationals’ early struggles against the Braves" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "[Stephen Strasburg] got into an animated discussion with pitching coach Steve McCatty during a fifth-inning mound visit. Multiple F-bombs appeared to be dropped." - "Nationals Pastime: What to make of this Strasburg outing? (Nats lose 3-2)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "No matter how much he insisted he felt fine, Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg didn't look right to manager Davey Johnson from the time his first pitch sailed to the backstop." - "Johnson says Strasburg has tightness in forearm" - Charles Odum, AP/WTOP.com

• "Six times this season, Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has taken the mound to begin a game and only once has he met the sky-high expectations set for him." - "Nationals vs. Braves: Stephen Strasburg hurt by early shakiness, lack of run support in 3-2 loss" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "[Stephen] Strasburg brushed off questions about his health after the game, but didn't directly address anything about his forearm." - "Nationals Pastime: Johnson: Strasburg battling forearm tightness" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Stephen Strasburg says he’s fine and will not miss a start after manager Davey Johnson revealed the Washington Nationals ace is suffering from tightness in his forearm Monday night." - "Stephen Strasburg: ‘I’m Not Missing My Next Start’" - CBS DC

• Strasburg on Strasburg vs ESPN:

• "A one-hour film called 'Bryce Begins' documents Bryce Harper's rise." - "Film follows Bryce Harper's rise to the major leagues (Video)" - Andrew Mollenbeck, WTOP.com

• "The thought of Jones' retirement at the end of the 2012 season probably gave the Nats a feeling of relief, just knowing they wouldn't have to see him ever again when they go to Turner Field." - "Chipper watches video with buddy LaRoche" - Jon Cooper, nationals.com: News

• "Activated off the 15-day disabled list this afternoon, [Wilson] Ramos remained on the bench for the Nationals' series opener against the Braves..." - "Ramos activated, but Suzuki starting tonight" - Mark Zuckerman, Comcast SportsNet Washington

• "Despite the fact that Kurt Suzuki has played all but one game since Ramos went on the disabled list 15 days ago, manager Davey Johnson is planning to take things slow with Ramos as he eases him back into a heavy workload." - "Davey Johnson plans to be 'overly cautious' with Wilson Ramos" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "[Stephen] Strasburg was asked to be a 'stopper' to prevent the sweep at home by the Cards and couldn't." - "Ask Boswell: Redskins, Nationals and Washington sports" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post

• "Nationals manager Davey Johnson explained his decision to sit Ramos, saying he's taking a better-safe-than-sorry approach with his catcher after his recent left hamstring injury." - "Nationals Pastime: Johnson talks plans for Ramos and a strategy for Strasburg" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "'We battled and did the little things right,' said [Andrelton] Simmons, the second-year shortstop. 'We got the bunt down. We got the sacrifice fly to get the run in.'" - "Braves end 4-game skid, beat Nationals 3-2" - Charles Odum, AP/WTOP.com

• "[Tim] Hudson, 37, sputtered in his first attempt for No. 200 on April 19 against the Pirates, giving up six runs in four-plus innings." - "Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves - April 30, 2013" - MLB.com Preview

• "The Nationals put plenty of men on base. They just couldn't drive enough of them in. For that, you can blame some poor execution at the plate in several innings." - "Instant analysis: Braves 3, Nats 2" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "Over the course of his career, LaRoche has endured eight streaks in which he’s gone five or more games without a hit." - "Struggling Adam LaRoche turns to old teammate, Chipper Jones, for help with swing" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Towards the end of the game, [Jayson Werth] felt cramping and in particular in the seventh inning raced to catch a flyball and make a throw home to try to cut down a run." - "Jayson Werth fouls ball off ankle, dealing with hamstring cramping" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "There was Chipper Jones in the visiting clubhouse here at Turner Field, the park that he called home for 19 years, dishing out hugs and chatting with Nationals players." - "Nationals Pastime: Adam LaRoche getting hitting tips from ... Chipper Jones?" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "As if to reinforce that he wasn't going to do any running, [Jayson] Werth fouled a 2-1 pitch off his left shin. He'd strike out swinging two pitches later." - "Davey expects Werth to rest ailing groin, shin" - Jon Cooper, nationals.com: News

• "Rafael Soriano has a reputation of keeping to himself and staying quiet. That perception is, however, only half true." - "Rafael Soriano invites Nationals teammates to his Atlanta house for dinner" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "'I saw Chipper earlier, and he was going to talk to his good buddy, Adam LaRoche,' manager Davey Johnson said. 'I said: 'Get him feeling good, and then I've got a couple more guys you can talk to.'" - "LaRoche gets advice from Chipper" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "The ankle was a little swollen after the game, [Jayson] Werth said. The hamstring, while it bugged the veteran outfielder, doesn't seem to be a major concern." - "Nationals Pastime: Postgame notes on Werth's health, LaRoche's knock, another Braves win" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "[Wilson] Ramos has hit 21 homers and driven in 69 runs, with a .775 OPS in 159 games over three-plus years since being acquired from Minnesota..." - "Ramos returns from DL, but sits for opener" - Jon Cooper, nationals.com: News

• "[Wilson] Ramos, after a setback in his season of redemption from major knee injuries, was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday..." - "Wilson Ramos returns; Davey Johnson’s plans for the catchers" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama):

Most of our problems are related to the mind, so we have to work to reduce our destructive emotions.

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 30, 2013

• NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

• "Washington Nationals ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg could miss his next start after manager Davey Johnson admitted that Strasburg has been dealing with tightness in his right forearm." - "Nationals' Stephen Strasburg could miss time due to arm injury" - Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com

• "Details are few, speculation is rampant, and all hope is lost. Just kidding on the last part, but the first two are accurate." - "Roto Riteup: April 30, 2013" - David Wiers, FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

• "Stephen Strasburg faced the Atlanta Braves last night, and, historically, he has not fared well vs them." - "Roto Roundup: Dylan Bundy, Stephen Strasburg, Giancarlo Stanton and Others" - Ray Guilfoyle, Fake Teams

• "Critics have long suggested that Washington Nationals right-handed ace Stephen Strasburg’s career will end up being short because of his herky-jerky delivery." - "Stephen Strasburg dealing with forearm tightness" - Ryan Phillips, Midwest Sports Fan

• "No matter how much he insisted he felt fine, Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg didn't look right to manager Davey Johnson from the time his first pitch sailed to the backstop." - "Stephen Strasburg: Forearm tightness won't keep me out" - USA TODAY Sports

• "Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg was treated for "forearm tightness" after pitching six solid innings in the Nats’ 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Monday, according to multiple reports." - "Stephen Strasburg examined for ‘forearm tightness,’ according to reports" - SI Tracking Blog

• "Here’s something Nationals fans don’t want to hear." - "Stephen Strasburg dealing with forearm tightness" - D.J. Short, HardballTalk

• "[Stephen] Strasburg appeared to struggle to get comfortable on the mound, sometimes shaking his arm after a pitch." - "Stephen Strasburg of Washington Nationals has tightness in forearm" - ESPN

• ""When Chipper Jones dropped by the Braves clubhouse Monday afternoon, it was not a surprise to see him draw a crowd of hitters into a conversation..." - "Chipper gives hitting pointers to Nats LaRoche" - Carroll Rogers, www.ajc.com

• "The team the Braves chased for the better part of the 2012 season has become a welcome sight in 2013, and that’s even with ace Stephen Strasburg pitching." - "Braves return home to top the Nats" - Carroll Rogers, www.ajc.com

• "'It’s nice to get back in the win column, especially against the National[s] who we’re going to be fighting against all year.'" - Craig Kimbrel - "Braves quotes after Monday’s win vs. Nats" - Michael Cunningham and Carroll Rogers, www.ajc.com

• "Craig Kimbrel locked down his 9th save on 10 pitches tonight in a 3-2 Braves victory over the Nationals." - "Bullpen Report: April 29, 2013" - Alan Harrison, FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

• "Andrelton Simmons hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, then made an eye-popping play to start the ninth..." - "Andrelton Simmons helps Atlanta Braves edge Washington Nationals" - AP/PennLive.com

• NATS MINORS:

• Double-A Harrisburg: "Down by five early, the New Britain Rock Cats scored 10 runs in the fourth inning and added some insurance late to defeat the Harrisburg Senators 16-8 in the opener of a four-game series." - "Ten Run Inning Dooms Senators" - Marshall Kelner, Harrisburg Senators News

• Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, were shut out on Monday night in a 5-0 loss to the Durham Bulls. Syracuse goes for a series split against the Bulls in the finale of the four-game set on Tuesday afternoon." - "Bulls shut out Chiefs, 5-0" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• Triple-A Syracuse: "[Chris] Marrero is hitting .360 on the season and he produced 40 percent of the Chiefs offense on Monday." - "Syracuse shutout as an athlete passes away in Skaneateles" - Ben Meyers, The Auburn Citizen

• "Tuesday’s News & Notes" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• NATSTOWN:

• "This weekend, [Denard] Span put a human face on all the advanced metrics that precious few understand." - "Nationals Buzz: In Span, Nats have a glove of a different kind" - Ted Leavengood, MASNSports.com

• "Nats Game Logs on this Date" - Mark Hornbaker, D.C. Baseball History

• "Braves 3, Nationals 2: But who cares, really? Bad night gets worse..." - "Stephen Strasburg has tightness in his forearm" - Nats Enquirer

• "Stephen Strasburg wasn’t himself yet again, giving up 10 base runners in six innings. There were several close or missed calls by the umpires on the bases. And Tyler Clippard couldn’t hold a tie game in the seventh." - "Washington Nationals Game 26 Review: Nats waste chances in 3-2 loss to Braves" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page

• "Stephen Strasburg Is Not Missing His Next Start, So Says Stephen Strasburg (video)" - John Wilkes, Red Porch Report

• "Not only did the Nats lose their fourth straight game to their chief division rivals, but they got scary news on two of their star players." - "Strasburg Feels Forearm Tightness Following 3-2 Loss To Braves"- Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog

• "Nats ought to get Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson involved with the team" - William F. Yurasko, William World News

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Marlins: "Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton left Monday’s game in the 10th inning with a strained right hamstring, which he injured while trying to beat out a throw to first on a nubber in front of the plate." - "Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton leaves game with strained right hamstring, goes on disabled list" - Clark Spencer, MiamiHerald.com

• Mets: "On a night when Matt Harvey didn’t have his best stuff and David Wright didn’t start because of an injured neck, Ruben Tejada appeared to take the sting out of those events with a big single that put the Mets ahead in the top of the 15th Monday night." - "NY Mets blow two leads in 15-inning marathon loss to Miami Marlins" - Kristie Ackert, NY Daily News

• Phillies: "Cliff Lee will pitch in Cleveland for the first time as an opponent tomorrow, facing the team he won his one and only Cy Young award with, in 2008." - "Cliff Lee deal shows that acquiring prospects in trades is risky" - Sam Donnellon, Philadelphia Daily News