From Jacob deGrom to Chris Sale, when will these 8 elite arms return?

Luis Castillo injury update

Castillo is coming off one of his worst seasons as a member of the Reds last year, but he is still one of the most underrated starters in our game, posting a 137 average ERA+ over the past three seasons. At age 29, and with the Reds rebuilding, he could be the top starter on the trading block at this year’s trade deadline.

He was sent to the 10-day IL to start the season. According to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, Castillo threw a bullpen on Tuesday, April 12, and is scheduled to throw to live hitters this weekend. He’ll probably throw a few minor league innings and then should likely debut in early May.

Stephen Strasburg injury update

Since signing his massive seven-year, $245 million extension after winning World Series MVP in the 2019 season, Strasburg has pitched a meager 26 innings for the Nationals in the past two seasons. He made another trip to the injured list before the season even started, being sent to the 10-day IL.

According to MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, Strasburg has been throwing live bullpen sessions all throughout camp and will start a rehab assignment soon.

Per Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington, Nats GM Mike Rizzo said there’s a chance we could see Strasburg back as early as May 1. However, Rizzo said that was a “possibility” so a more reasonable timeline is later in May or perhaps early June if all goes well.