Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg returns from LA after receiving shot in ailing neck...

Davey Martinez told reporters on Friday afternoon in Miami, FL that Washington’s Nationals got good news on Stephen Strasburg, who’d flown out to LA to have renowned orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache take a look at what a press release on the right-hander going back on the 10-Day Disabled List, after one start back following a six-week stint on the DL, described as a “cervical nerve impingement” in his neck.

“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.”

Martinez didn’t have information on what sort of shot it was the pitcher had, but Strasburg did when he rejoined the team in Marlins Park on Saturday and updated reporters on the activities of the previous 24 hours.

“I wanted to go out to LA to see Dr. ElAttrache,” Strasburg explained, noting that he’d worked his way back from the right shoulder inflammation that had been causing him trouble and felt good to go, but didn’t feel like he was recovering as usual afterwards.

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“It just kind of felt good enough to go, and it just seemed like the first start I made back I wasn’t really recovering,” the recently-turned-30-year-old starter said.

“So, trying to take it easy on my throwing program in-between [starts] and it just wasn’t responding.

“They did another EMG test and they saw that there was still a nerve impingement in there so they thought that the best solution to that was to give me what’s called a scalene block [injection] and basically they put me under and they gave me an injection of different medicines I guess, and I was very happy with the way I felt when I woke up.

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“So it’s a very encouraging. I think they kind of crossed all the boxes now and it seems like something that should be good to go and I’m excited to get back out there with the guys and I want nothing more than to be there in the end and hopefully pitching again in the playoffs.”

“We’re going to need him here,” Martinez added, as quoted by Washington Post beat writer Jorge Castillo. “But we need him healthy.”

“The nerve itself is going to take a little time to heal,” Strasburg said, according to MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, “but they’ve at least addressed the pain and symptoms I was getting.

“So I think they really confirmed with me that this is something that will carry me through the rest of the year and into the offseason. And I’m just really pleased with the way [I feel] and I’m excited for the opportunity to get back out there soon.”