Though Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg's elbow injury wasn't exactly a secret -- he had surgery to remove loose bodies in October -- agent Scott Boras revealed to The Washington Post Thursday that it had him pitching with forearm discomfort virtually all season.
The discomfort was first reported in late April and eventually cost him two starts in September.
"He was dealing with some stress in the forearm and such from it," Boras said. "Certainly, each performance, it was something he had to deal with for a few days after."
After going 15-6 in 2012, Strasburg's record dropped to 8-9 in 2013, but he improved his ERA and WHIP and recorded 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He'll resume throwing in 1-3 weeks and should be ready for spring training.
"He's doing great," Boras said. "He's working out. We're pretty excited. It was a minor procedure, but I think it'll have a quality impact on him as far as him pitching pain-free and being the Stephen Strasburg of old."