Washington, DC – The Washington Nationals scratched ace Stephen Strasburg from his scheduled start on Friday and will instead send right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to the mound.
Strasburg apparently felt soreness on Thursday while experimenting with a new pitch. He will rest for a few days and is expected to make his next start against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson said the soreness in Strasburg's muscle is in no way related to the Tommy John surgery he had performed three years ago.
Ohlendorf takes his place and will make his sixth start of the season Friday when the Nationals open up a crucial 10-game homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Washington (77-69) has resurfaced in the National League wild card race after winning 17 of its last 22 games, with its four-game sweep of the New York Mets putting them within 5 1/2 games of Cincinnati for the second wild card spot.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.