Nats' Stephen Strasburg has setback in recovery from neck injury

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg has eased back on his recovery from a neck injury that has sidelined him since June 1. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Saturday that Strasburg, who has 113 wins and a 3.21 career ERA in 12 seasons, had an "achy" neck after he threw a simulated game before the All-Star break. Strasburg had been progressing toward a minor league rehab assignment. Instead, Strasburg was throwing off flat ground instead of a mound, which he did on Saturday. "My conversation with him was: ?Let's back down a little bit, and then we'll see where you're at and start throwing when you can.' So he took a few days off. He threw yesterday, probably going to play catch again today, and we'll see how he feels," Martinez said. Strasburg, who has endured numerous injuries in his career, landed on the injured list on June 2 with what was first called a neck strain and then nerve irritation. The Nationals, whose home game with the San Diego Padres was suspended in the sixth inning due to gunfire near the stadium, sit fourth in the National League East but are only 5 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets. Strasburg is 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA in five starts this season. --Field Level Media