Nationals Announce Strasburg Won’t Make Next Start, Headed Back to IL

The former World Series MVP just made his season debut last Thursday.

Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday and will return to the IL, Washington manager Dave Martinez announced on Monday, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. 

Martinez said that Strasburg felt discomfort during a bullpen session on Saturday, but did not specify exactly what was wrong. The 33-year-old starter is set to undergo an MRI on Monday afternoon and the Nationals expect to have more clarity in the evening, according to Dougherty. 

After not taking the mound in over a year, Strasburg made his season debut last Thursday in a 7–4 loss to the Marlins. He pitched 4.2 innings and struck out five batters while giving up all seven runs.

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Injuries have been a problem for Strasburg throughout his career, but even more so over the course of the last three seasons. The big right-hander has made just eight appearances since the start of the 2020 campaign. He’s dealt with a number of ailments including right shoulder inflammation, a neck strain and a nerve issue in his right hand. He was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome last summer, which ended his 2021 season prematurely.

Strasburg is entering the third year of a seven-year, $245 million contract, which he earned following a career season in 2019. He led the National League in innings pitched that year (209.0), while posting an 18–6 record with a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting and capped off a championship season in Washington by winning World Series MVP. 

The Nationals have plummeted down the ranks of the NL since that World Series title and have struggled without one of the focal points of their starting rotation in 2022. Washington is 23–39 this season and sits last in the NL East as of mid-June.

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