Ready to return? Stephen Strasburg excels in fifth rehab start

Stephen Strasburg sure looks ready.

Pitching for Class AAA Syracuse, the Washington Nationals' prized right-hander struck out seven batters in five innings while allowing one run on two hits against Rochester on Saturday. He set down 15 straight batters at one point. It was Strasburg's fifth rehab start as he continues his return from Tommy John surgery.

Strasburg was perfect through his first five innings before giving up two straight singles to begin the sixth inning. He was removed from the game at that point, having thrown 64 pitches, including 47 for strikes. It was the longest outing of his rehab assignment thus far.

The Nationals' ace-in-waiting seemed pretty happy with his performance, judging from his postgame comments to the media (video here):

"I'll let the numbers do the talking," Strasburg said, when asked how his elbow felt. "It felt great."

And the numbers speak for Strasburg quite well. He faced better competition, too.�Strasburg's first four appearances were against Class A batters, and he didn't look terribly impressive (0-1, 6.75 ERA in 9 1/3 innings). Building up strength and working on pitches were far more important than results.

So does Strasburg's performance against more-seasoned opposition mean we'll be seeing him pitch for the big league club in September?

Nats manager Davey Johnson says Strasburg won't pitch for his team before Sept. 6. That means at least one more rehab start is in Strasburg's future, with four days of rest putting him on schedule for Sept. 1.

The Washington Post's Dave Sheinin writes that Strasburg probably will pitch for Class AA Harrisburg, as they'll be the Nats' only minor league affiliate playing at home that day. But MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Strasburg is expected to stay with Syracuse and pitch at Buffalo for his next start.

Wherever his rehab takes him next, Strasburg's return to the majors seems closer than ever.

Follow Ian on Twitter ?�@iancass ? and engage�The Stew on Facebook

Nascar Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros