Strasburg's MRI on Tuesday confirmed that he is dealing with an upper back strain, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.
All things considered, this is encouraging news for Strasburg as the MRI did not reveal any previously undetected ailments in his back. He is eligible to return from the disabled list Friday, but the Nationals will do their due diligence and wait to make sure he's 100 percent ready before activating their prized ace. If top prospect Lucas Giolito is able to perform ably in his debut Tuesday, it could take the pressure off Strasburg and the Nationals rotation as a whole as they would have a viable stopgap for the time being.