Before his start in Miami, Stephen Strasburg’s last outing in the majors was back on June 1, 2021 in Atlanta, GA. In the two years since he helped Washington win the first World Series by a D.C.-based team since 1924, then signed a 7-year/$245M free agent deal after briefly testing the market, the 2009 Nationals’ No. 1 overall pick made just seven starts for the club, with a (1-3) record, 5.74 ERA, and 5.69 FIP in 26 2⁄3 innings on the mound in those outings.
Surgeries for carpal tunnel neuritis and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome cost Strasburg most of the 2020 and ‘21 seasons, respectively, so the 33-year-old, 12-year veteran decided a slow, methodical build-up to his return was the right path this spring, rather than a rushed, three-week run-up teams had to deal with once the lockout ended back in March.