Washington Nationals get “good news” on Stephen Strasburg and his neck issue...

Stephen Strasburg received a shot in his ailing neck on Friday, according to Washington Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez, who told reporters he didn’t know what kind of shot it was, though he characterized the update he received on the 30-year-old right-hander as good news.

“He had a shot today,” Martinez said, “see if we can get this neck thing to calm down. He’s got 72 hours, and then if he feels good he’ll start a throwing program, so it’s good news.”

“I don’t really know what kind of shot it was,” the first-year skipper said when asked if it was cortizone, “but he got a shot, so he’s coming back here tomorrow and he’s looking forward to coming back and being with his teammates.

“I can’t wait to really hone in and get him healthy and get him back. We miss him. I’m not going to sit here and say that we don’t need him, because we do, and when he’s back and healthy he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”

Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Before he landed on the Disabled List for the second time this season, with what was called a cervical nerve impingement in his neck, Strasburg put up a 3.90 ERA, a 3.50 FIP, 21 walks (2.21 BB/9), 101 Ks (10.65 K/9), and a .236/.291/.413 line against in 85 1⁄3 IP. He made just one start after a month-plus on the DL (for right shoulder inflammation) before he was forced to go back on with the neck issue.

“[On Wednesday] he came into my office and said he felt it,” Martinez explained before the first of four in Miami, FL on Thursday night, “so [team trainer Paul Lessard] saw him, we had the doctor look at him, and we thought the best thing was to put him on the DL and get him checked out.”

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The Nats’ skipper told reporters on Friday, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, that he was happy to know it wasn’t a recurrence of the same shoulder issue that initially put the right-hander on the DL.

“We know it’s not his shoulder,” Martinez said.

“We know exactly what it is. Now it’s just getting him better and getting him right.

“He’s one of the best in baseball. We miss him and we need him. But I want him totally healthy and ready to go.”

Tommy Milone filled in for Strasburg in the series opener with the Marlins, and according to Martinez, he’ll prepare for a start against the New York Mets next week in Washington, D.C.