SEPT. 8: Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters last night, including Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, that Strasburg felt a “pinch in the back of his elbow” and will undergo an MRI to evaluate the damage today. While the news is a gut punch for Nationals fans who were relieved when Strasburg’s recent DL stint proved to be minimal, Baker insisted that Strasburg didn’t rush back and wasn’t trying to pitch through something when further rest was required.
“He wasn’t trying to be a hero,”  said Baker (via Janes). “He said that he felt fine. But a lot of times you really don’t know until you get into action. … We thought everything was fine because [Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos] said he was throwing the heck out of the ball. He said his changeup was outstanding, and he had good command. And usually if something’s wrong, you don’t have command. So we’re hoping that it’s something minor, but again we’ll find out more tomorrow.”
SEPT. 7: In his first start back from the disabled list due to elbow soreness, Stephen Strasburg exited in the contest after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Strasburg winced after his second-to-last pitch (as MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman tweets) and was visited by pitching coach Mike Maddux and Nationals trainer Paul Lessard before leaving the mound and being replaced by left-hander Sean Burnett.
Following Strasburg’s initial placement on the disabled list, it was reported that his DL stint was precautionary and that the 28-year-old would have continued pitching were the postseason already at hand. He returned in just over the minimum 15 days and looked sharp tonight in his first outing prior to his exit. In 2 1/3 innings, he held the Braves scoreless on a pair of hits with no walks and four strikeouts, running his fastball up to 97 mph along the way.
It’s impossible to know how long tonight’s apparent injury will sideline Strasburg, if at all, just yet. The Nationals’ significant lead on the NL East (eight games) should ensure that they take home the division title with or without Strasburg, but his absence from the postseason rotation would be notable. Both Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark would figure to be locks, but left-hander Gio Gonzalez has struggled considerably after a dominant April, while righty Joe Ross is on the disabled list. Rookies A.J. Cole, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, meanwhile each lack experience, and the latter two have struggled to ERAs north of 5.00 in their first big league seasons.
Certainly, the Nationals organization and fans alike are holding their collective breaths as they await further evaluation. Strasburg inked a seven-year, $175MM contract extension earlier this season, surprising many with his decision to pass on the option to explore free agency at season’s end. That massive extension begins next season.
I’m not crying…
Wow, It must blow to have the gene for human compassion skip a generation.
Celebrating an injury is just completely classless on every level.
For what it’s worth, I read it as an attempt at the, “I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying” meme …. suggesting that he is indeed upset about the news.
But, maybe I was just subconsciously hoping not to see someone making light of a potentially serious injury.
Ok, I guess I don’t know that meme. Hopefully it can be read that way.. I hope I’m wrong of course, but it certainly seemed like someone celebrating an injury.
Keith Olberman seems to have tweeted 2 hours ago “Strasburg came out of his start with unspecified arm injury and blanching visibly.”
Where is he celebrating the injury? Looks like you’re just another person offended by everything…
It’s sad that there’s more and more people like that in the world now, I’m probably offending more people this comment.
When someone gets hurt and your comment is simply, with no other context, “I’m not crying, ” how else should it be interpreted? I too thought he was a fan of an opponent saying “I’m glad.”
Yeah, punctuation is very important when you are quoting something. He had an ellipsis in there as well. That drastically changes the meaning of the sentence.
I’m not crying. – a statement of fact which would indicate he was not actually sad about it.
I’m not crying! – a statement that indicates sociopathic tendencies since he seems to be excited by the injury.
I’m not crying? – a question to the reader implying that he is crying and you just can’t see it
I’m not crying… – the beginning of a phrase that he didn’t feel like completing for the sake of brevity.
Same three words, four very different meanings.
This has to be the best derailed thread I’ve seen in a while
Certainly looks like signing that extension early was an awesome decision for him/Boras.
Well he was producing at an extreme above average level, so yea, it was an awesome decision for both sides, idk where this comes from… Yea he probably wot help in the postseason but they have a certified ace locked down in a weak market so
It comes from Boras and Strasburg knowing he was an injury risk and opting to take “the hometown discount” instead of testing the free agent mark because they had no clue until his next likely injury which would result in like a Mike Minor type deal.
Tommy John II
Bruh
Another all-star pitcher goes down under Dusty Baker’s helm. You’re next Scherzer.
This isn’t on Dusty. Stras has an injury history dating to his rookie year
Probably not, but I found it funny that Dusty has this reputation that won’t leave him and was still hired to be the coach of a team who’s too pitcher is injury prone and was once shut down in the midst of a playoff run to protect their future.
Top pitcher, not “top pitcher”
There’s two kinds of Sox fans. One are those who actually care about their team. The other only care about hating the Cubs and their fans. Thanks for letting me know which one you are.
I was waiting for this one. Do you really think another manager would have pulled him before that 3rd inning of his start? Dusty has been battered long enough for something that has never been his fault.
Quit crying about Kerry Wood, it’s been over 10 years. Get over it already.
What did I say that’s not true?
Well, we can start with “You’re next, Scherzer” because unless you are psychic that isn’t true, it is just an uneducated guess.
BTW, the last team to start the same five pitchers for an entire season with no injuries was the 2012 Cincinnati Reds managed by Dusty Baker.
I’ll admit, I was being a bit cheeky with the Scherzer comment.
It’s not Kerry wood that people complain about “Ray Ray” it’s Prior….
Fair enough. But it’s still been 10 years since Prior as well. It’s time to move on.
I just find it odd that people blame Baker when it is far more likely that the ankle injury that caused him to miss the first three months of 2004 and especially the line drive that broke his pitching elbow in 2005 caused his downfall a lot more than a few games over 120 pitches which guys used to do regularly all the time.
He was back in a month from the “line drive that broke his pitching elbow.” His shoulder was structurally screwed. Dusty didn’t help by letting him throw 100 every game and rushing him
Keith Olberman seems to have tweeted 2 hours ago “Strasburg came out of his start with unspecified arm problems and blanching visibly.”
You know what I wish this site had more of throughout its pages? For starters, I could use more strong opinions; however, they must be based mostly, if not entirely, in opinions gussied up as fact. After that, I’d love for a more vocal presence of the Moral Police. Tell me what’s right and what’s wrong to do, please.
Welcome to the Internet! Good luck finding a site that DOESN’T have those qualities.
Two or three more people making that observation and we’ll be juuuuust right.
Wow, this sucks. Bad for the Nats. Bad for baseball.
Your completely uncontroversial statement for the day.
You’re out of your freakin mind. It doesn’t SUCK, it BLOWS. Let’s fight now.
What surprises me is that this guy has an injury history, was fresh off the DL, threw a very wild pitch and grimaced, but nobody went to check on him? Why did this guy get one more pitch??
Dusty dusts another young arm.
Yeah because Strasburg was 100% healthy when Dusty got there. I guess if Dusty took over the Mets job next year, you could blame him for Harvey and the rest as well.
I have Strasburg in a baseball pool and Yahoo put out an update before his start that he threw a BP session the day before his start. That is odd for a healthy pitcher let alone for a pitcher just coming off a DL stint for an elbow issue. My question is, who ok’d that BP session because for all we know, that could be a contributing factor to this new injury.