No reason to believe Strasburg won't be as good as ever

If this year's All-Star Game is any indication, Stephen Strasburg's career is far from over. Although he is likely to need Tommy John surgery and it could be more than a year before he pitches in the major leagues again, myriad pitchers have shown that you can bounce back strong from the surgery - and sometimes be even stronger.

Nine 2010 All-Star pitchers had Tommy John surgery, including Tim Hudson, Chris Carpenter and Josh Johnson. So although Strasburg's injury is a setback, it's far from permanent.

Astros reliever Tim Byrdak had the procedure in 2001. "He could wind up throwing harder," he said. "Part of the rehab process is to strengthen the joint above it, which is the shoulder. That's the reason why so many guys coming out of the surgery throw harder.''

Byrdak added, however, "When you start that throwing program, you start from ground zero. It's a slow process and it can be demoralizing."

Tommy John surgery involves replacing the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow with a tendon from another part of the body. The normal recovery time is 12 to 18 months. Strasburg, 22, is seeking a second opinion, but the Nationals are said to accept the fact that he will need the surgery. He's far from alone, though, and his age will help.

The Yankees' Kerry Wood, also an exceptionally hard thrower, struck out 20 in the fifth start of his career in 1998, won the NL Rookie of the Year award - and missed the next season because of Tommy John surgery months before he turned 22.

"It helped me bounce back quicker, I'm sure," Wood said of his age at the time, comparing his experience with that of teammates who went through it later in their careers. "I think the younger you are, it can only help you as far as recovery. It's not , but if you look for reasons why, why this happened to me, it just delays the process of recovery. If you can accept it right away on Day 1 and get to work after the surgery, if the doctor does his job and you do your job, you'll be back."

The Yankees' Sergio Mitre had the operation in July 2008. "The biggest thing is how high a tolerance you have as far as exercise-wise and strengthening and stretching, making sure you get your flexibility," he said. "The hardest part is the first three months when you don't throw, when you're in a sling and the most important thing to do is get your full range back. It's kind of like preparing for a game, but obviously this is going to be a 12-month process, so that's kind of what the mind-set has to be."

Johnson had the surgery in August 2007 when he was 23. The Marlins righthander returned the following July and is 33-11 with a 2.98 ERA since. Braves righthander Hudson had the surgery in August 2008 and returned in September 2009. He is 15-5 and has a 2.24 ERA in 2010.

Braves lefthander Billy Wagner had the surgery in September 2008 and returned in August 2009. At 39, he is having one of his best years. He has 30 saves, a 1.65 ERA and a 78/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 542/3 innings.

Cardinals lefthander Jaime Garcia had the surgery after the 2008 season, missed all of last year and is a contender for NL Rookie of the Year with a 12-6 record and 2.33 ERA.

As a rookie this season, Strasburg often hit triple digits on the radar gun and struck out 14 in his major-league debut June 8. Attendance increased significantly when he pitched, and his first few starts were nationally televised. The Nationals monitored his workload extremely closely, but on Aug. 21 against the Phillies, in his 12th start, Strasburg threw a 1-and-1 changeup to Domonic Brown, grimaced and reached for his right elbow.

Strasburg, who went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and a 92/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 68 innings, doesn't need to look too far for advice. Teammate Jordan Zimmermann had the surgery Aug. 19 last year and was pitching in Class A on July 3. He returned to the majors Thursday.

Mets reliever Ryota Igarashi had the surgery done in 2006. "The key is not to rush back and slowly rehabilitate," he said through interpreter Mike Peters. "It's a reality that the first year back, you will be in games and feel uncomfortable. This is the third year since the surgery and now I feel like I am finally back."

West Babylon product Billy Koch had Tommy John surgery before reaching the major leagues in 1999, then regularly hit 100 mph on radar guns. The standout reliever once joked to USA Today that his elbow "felt so good when I came back, I said I recommend it to everybody . . . regardless of what your ligament looks like.''

With Erik Boland