Stephen Strasburg does not need Tommy John, but no timetable for return

The Washington Nationals got a mix of good and bad news on Stephen Strasburg Thursday.

Strasburg was diagnosed with a flexor mass strain. The good news is that he won’t need Tommy John surgery, but the bad news is that there’s no definitive timetable for his return.

Stephen Strasburg's UCL is fine, say the Nats. He has a strained flexor mass.

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) September 8, 2016

While head athletic trainer Paul Lessard told reporters that the injury wasn’t necessarily season ending, but there was no guarantee on a return date.

Lessard said strengthening and treatment usually alleviate the trouble. Lessard said it's "not a season-ending injury."

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 8, 2016

But, important to note that Lessard would not commit to a timetable, and would not say whether he could definitely return this year.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 8, 2016

Nationals fans feared the worst after seeing Strasburg walk off the mound Wednesday night, and while it’s not the worst case scenario, it’s still a complex situation. There’s no real clear timetable in general for an injury like this. The problem for the Nationals is that there is so little left of the season to get Strasburg healthy. If Strasburg is out a month, it goes into the playoffs, and he might not necessarily come back and step right into the rotation without any rehab or work. Any longer than that and you’re getting into a situation where the Nationals need to make at least the NLCS to even get him on the mound. It may not be a season-ending blow for Strasburg, but it would probably be prudent for the Nationals to not count on the righty’s postseason availability.