Olsen's shoulder feels 100 percent

Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen is arbitration eligible and it's not known if he will remain with the club.

Olsen is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he pitched 11 games for Washington. A small tear in his left labrum is the reason his season was cut short.

When reached by phone recently, Olsen said he is not sure what the Nationals are thinking these days, but he made it known that his shoulder is 100 percent. 
 
"The medical staffs in DC and Melbourne, [Fla.] were real good about the shoulder," Olsen said. "We had a job to do and we did it. I went down to Florida with a plan for getting myself back. By Spring Training, there is not going to be any issues. When I do my throwing program in offseason, I've been told to go about it as if I wasn't even hurt. I will not do anything different."

When asked about his future with the Nationals, Olsen said it's too early to tell.
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"I'm not too familiar with the business side of baseball," he admitted. "I know the basics. When you get down to it, that's what my agent is for. Him and [general manager] Mike Rizzo will talk it over the next month or so.

"Personally, I would like to be back. I think the Nationals are a very upstanding organization. Now that they have hired Rizzo full time, things are looking up. I would like to be part of the future there. It's not my decision. If they don't want me to come back, I'll find somewhere else to play."

Olsen came from the Marlins in a four-player trade on November 10, 2008. Slated to be in the front-end of the rotation, Olsen will be the first to say that he had an up-and-down season.

Olsen started feeling pain in the shoulder on July 10, against the Astros in Houston. In that game he lasted six innings and gave up four runs in a 6-5 loss.  Olsen also missed time earlier in the year because of a sore shoulder. He went 2-4 with a 6.03 ERA this past season.
 
"I never felt like I got into a groove like I have in previous years," Olsen said. "But at this point, I'm happy that the shoulder problems are behind me. I'm looking forward to having banner year. I have something to prove to myself and other people in baseball at this point."