ANAHEIM, Calif. – Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross will take another key step in their return from injury this week when they pitch in a simulated game at the Nationals’ spring training complex, one of their final tune-ups before both right-handers are likely to be cleared to begin rehab assignments for minor league affiliates.

Strasburg and Ross each threw live batting practice twice last week, so this is the next step in their program. Each will now pitch two simulated innings to teammates in West Palm Beach, Fla., beginning the process of building up their arms.

“They’re both going to pitch two innings and we’re going to progress them,” manager Davey Martinez said prior to the Nats’ series finale against the Angels. “And if this goes well, they’ll get on a five-day rotation and we’ll start building them up.”

Strasburg, recovering from last summer’s thoracic outlet surgery, has been tracking to make his season debut sometime in June, if there are no more setbacks along the way. Ross, who had arthroscopic surgery in early March to remove a bone spur from his elbow, has been on a rehab schedule similar to the one his fellow right-hander has been on, and thus could be about a month away from making his season debut as well.

The progression for both Strasburg and Ross now would include a build-up of their workloads in these simulated games while still in Florida. If all goes well, they would then prepare to join a minor league affiliate to begin a rehab assignment, the final step in the rehab process.

DENVER – The Nationals transferred Sean Doolittle to the 60-day injured list this afternoon, revealing the left-hander recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow, which will prevent him from throwing for another six weeks. They then used that new opening on the 40-man roster to claim right-hander Cory Abbott from the Giants and immediately option him to Triple-A Rochester.

The move of Doolittle from the 10-day to the 60-day IL ensures he’ll be out until at least late June, but last week’s PRP injection ensured it would probably take that long for him to recover anyway.

“He opted to do that, get it over with, get it done right away,” manager Davey Martinez said before tonight’s game against the Rockies. “Now he’s just going to rehab. He said he feels really good, which is great. We’re just going to rehab him and get him back.”

Doolittle was off to a red-hot start in April after rejoining the Nationals on a one-year, $1.5 million contract this spring. He did not allow a run over his first six relief appearances and only allowed a batter to reach base for the first time in his most recent outing.

But the 35-year-old experienced pain in his elbow during that last appearance and informed club officials. He promptly was placed on the 10-day IL, with hopes he’d be OK to resume throwing after rest and rehab for a couple weeks. All the while, though, he admitted he knew there remained the possibility the sprain was more serious and could require a significant amount of time off or even major surgery.

SAN FRANCISCO – Three right-handers who would probably be members of the Nationals rotation right now if healthy remain out, though two of them at least are about to cross a significant hurdle in their recoveries.

Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross are scheduled to face live hitters Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. It’ll be the first time Strasburg has done that since mid-March and the first time Ross has done it since he was shut down last summer with a tear in his right elbow.

After weeks strictly throwing off a bullpen mound, both Strasburg and Ross will pitch to live hitters at extended spring training. If all goes well, they would be ready to progress to pitching in a game situation shortly after, then a minor league rehab assignment that would allow them build their arms up to be ready to join the major league rotation at last.

Strasburg already had thrown to live hitters briefly during spring training but backed off because he wasn’t happy with his mechanics, Martinez said last week. The 33-year-old, attempting to return from last July’s thoracic outlet surgery, has since been working out of a windup for the first time since 2017, trying to get more power from his legs to compensate what he lost from his arm.

Ross, who missed the second half of last season with a slight tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, then had surgery in early-March to remove a bone spur in that elbow. The 28-year-old will now be ready to face live hitters for the first time.

Stephen Strasburg threw off a mound without pain, but probably won't make his season debut until the weekend.