ST. LOUIS -- Stephen Strasburg threw a simulated game Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium, tossing about 70 pitches in a little more than four innings in what he called the "last big test" in his recovery from the pinched nerve in his neck.
Initially, the Nationals had maintained Strasburg would need a Minor League rehab start before he returned to the rotation, but for the first time Wednesday, manager Dave Martinez acknowledged the possibility that the right-hander could return to the rotation without one. The next turn in the rotation will arrive at the start of a three-game series against the Phillies, one of the teams the Nationals are chasing in the standings in the National League…
