Strasburg takes a curtain call at Nationals Park. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

No surprises here, but the Washington Nationals announced today that ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg will start the opening game of the upcoming season when the Nationals host the Miami Marlins on April 1.

After being deactivated for the last few weeks of the 2012 season and the ensuing National League Division Series, Strasburg is expected to be strong enough to last the entire season this year. By the time he was shut down—out of concern for his surgically reconstructed arm—the hard-throwing right-hander had amassed a 15-6 record with a 3.16 earned run average in 159 and one-third innings.

The topic of Strasburg’s eventual shutdown dominated conversations about the Nationals as the team surged to a Major League Baseball-best 98-64 record, the National League East championship, and the first playoff appearance by a D.C. team in 79 years.