The Nationals announced a minute ago that right-hander Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his start in Saturday's Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game because of a strained neck muscle.

The scratch is just a precaution and Strasburg is day-to-day, the team said, but as I saw last spring when he left a start at San Diego State early because of a cramp in his back, any little thing that happens to the kid causes a twinge of panic.

UPDATED AT 3:15 P.M.: Mark Zuckerman here with some more info on Strasburg. According to an AFL official, Strasburg woke up Wednesday morning with neck stiffness. This morning, he was examined by a doctor, who diagnosed it as a strained muscle. It doesn't appear to be anything serious, though obviously you never really know until the player returns to the field. As for tomorrow night's Rising Stars Game, Josh Wilkie has been invited to take Strasburg's roster spot. Drew Storen is already slated to pitch in the game.

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