Stephen Strasburg let the ball rip today:

Strasburg threw 20 fastballs in a bullpen session today, after playing long toss from around 90 feet. He said it was the first time the Nationals allowed him to “let it go” – by my guess, he was probably throwing around 80 mph – and while his command wasn’t there yet, as a product of throwing easier than he could, the earmarks of his electric stuff were there. His fastball left his fingers with the same audible hiss it has when it’s climbing toward 100 mph, and hit the catcher’s mitt with the usual pop. “Today was the first day they allowed me to let it go, and that’s the hard thing about Tommy John rehab,” Strasburg said. “You can feel great, but you don’t really know what’s going on inside there. You have to listen to the people that have gone through this before. I’m following it to a T. I’m not going to do anything stupid that’s going to jeopardize the rest of my career.” He was careful, though, to make one point: At first, he said he wasn’t able to throw as hard as he could, but then corrected himself to say he wasn’t allowed to throw as hard as he could. There’s that feisty streak that goes with his fastball.

That’s good news.

Hat tip, Hardball Talk.