Nationals' Stephen Strasburg: On track to return when eligible

Strasburg (elbow) threw a successful bullpen session Monday and is on track to return from the disabled list as soon as he becomes eligible, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Analysis:

Pitching coach Mike Maddux was encouraged by Strasburg's performance in Monday's bullpen session and now it appears that the Nationals' ace will be back on the mound by next week. Strasburg had some uncharacteristic struggles in his three most recent starts before hitting the disabled list, allowing an astronomical 19 earned runs on 24 hits over just 11.2 innings. However, the hope is that his DL stint allowed his elbow issue to calm down to where he can return to form in time for the playoff push.