Q: What was your reaction when you learned?
STEPHEN STRASBURG: It was kind of a shock to me, because I didn't really feel
anything. It is what it is. In a way, it's good that it happened now instead
of when we're going to the postseason or getting ready for the World Series.
It's a new challenge. I want to be the best at everything. And right now, I'm
going to be the best at rehabbing and getting back out here.
Q: Can you gain inspiration from Jordan Zimmermann and others who have come
back from this surgery?
SS: Absolutely. You look at all the guys in the big leagues who are Cy Young
contenders, Hall of Famers who have had this surgery ... it's become such a
specialty these days. I'm going to the best, and I know deep down inside I'm
going to work just as hard as any of these guys who had to go through it
before. I hope to be back here soon.
Q: What did you feel on that last pitch in Philadelphia?
SS: It felt more like a flexor strain than anything. It felt like my forearm
cramped up. That was about it. After that as far as the stress test and
everything, I didn't feel any pain. That was the thing that kind of threw it
off. But I think that was just from being strong and flexible to begin with.
Who knows when it happened? Bottom line, it is what it is, and I've just got
to move forward.
Q: How will mentally tackle not being able to pitch for so long?
SS: It's a new challenge. It's going to be a big learning experience. I feel
like I'm going to be able to grow a lot, as an individual and as a baseball
player. Looking at the bright side, it's going to give me six months to
really not worry about throwing and really get strong in my lower half, my
core, my shoulder, everything. So when it is time for me to step on the
rubber, it's hopefully going to be totally a new ballgame for me and I'll be
ready to tackle a full season.
Q: How similar was what you felt Saturday on that pitch to what you felt in
college?
SS: That's the weird thing. What happened the other night was something that
I felt before. And nothing was torn then. I don't know what the doctors
think, but I think it might have been something that happened more over time.
It just never really popped up until we decided to go in the MRI machine for
the flexor muscle. It happens. It happens to a lot of pitchers out there.
It's a pretty common thing. I've just got to roll with it and get better.
Q: Do you find yourself looking for an explanation as to what went wrong, or
do you chalk it up to something that just happens to pitchers?
SS: If I keep looking for an explanation, it's just going to eat at me. I've
got to let it go. I've just got to move on. That's what I'm doing. Everything
happens for a reason. This is obviously a test for me. I've never had any
shoulder or elbow surgery in my entire life. So it's going to be a new
experience. I'm just going to embrace it.
Q: Is there anything about your changeup, the way you hold or throw it, that
might have caused this?
SS: You can dig into that all you want. You're looking at two changeups out
of the hundreds of thousands of changeups that I've thrown, whether it's out
in the outfield, in the bullpen, during a game. It could have been any pitch.
Q: Now that it's over, what has this year been like?
SS: Definitely a whirlwind. It kind of sucks to have it end like this, but I
got a lot of great experience when I was up here. The weird thing about it
is, that last game, that was when everything started to click. That was when
I had that feeling. I mean, that was a packed house with some rowdy fans, and
I didn't feel like they were there. I was just so locked in and everything
was working. And sure enough, something happens. ... Tomorrow, I'm just going
to write down on a piece of paper everything that I'm thinking right now and
look at it a year from now and keep going from there.
Q: Did it take you some time to get from your initial reaction to your
current state of mind?
SS: It didn't take a matter of minutes. It took definitely a few hours. I've
got great support all around me. They reminded me of everything I should be
thankful for. They put everything in perspective for me. The bottom line is,
this is a game. I'm very blessed to play this game for a living. This is a
minor setback, but in the grand scheme of things, it's just a blip on the
radar screen.
Q: What was your initial reaction: Anger? Confusion?
SS: A little bit of both.
Q: The next day, you felt good, right?
SS: That's the thing. After we got the MRI results, I came to the field
thinking they were going to let me play catch. I didn't really think there
was anything wrong. It just happened. I can't really explain it. I'm not
going to try to explain it anymore.
Q: The things you're going to write down on paper tomorrow, what is that for?
SS: So I don't forget all the things I'm thinking about right now. My mind
might get a little jumbled through this experience. I don't know what to
expect. I just have to remember all the things I want to focus on. So next
time I go out there and pitch, I can keep going like I was this year.
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