Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg will undergo surgery to alleviate neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, manager Dave Martinez announced to reporters Tuesday (Twitter link via MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman). The procedure will end his season, and the Nationals’ hope is that he can be ready for the start of the 2022 campaign. Martinez’s announcement was a bit more specific than most announcements on TOS surgery, but for those wondering, “neurogenic” thoracic outlet syndrome is the most common of three variations of the ailment, per the Mayo Clinic.
It’s yet another health setback for one of the game’s most talented but also most oft-injured pitchers. Strasburg’s 2020 season also ended with surgery — that one to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome — and he’ll now head into the 2022 campaign with just 26 2/3 innings under his belt since signing a franchise-record seven-year, $245MM contract as a free agent in the 2019-20 offseason.
Thoracic outlet surgery is more ominous than the more-common Tommy John surgery, as pitchers generally have a much worse track record in returning from TOS operations. That said, Strasburg need look no further than D-backs righty Merrill Kelly to find a recent example of a pitcher who has come back from a TOS procedure as good as ever (arguably better, in Kelly’s case). Former Royals/Padres/Mets righty (and current Rangers GM) Chris Young also attributed TOS surgery to saving his career. Other success stories include former Cardinals hurlers Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia.
On the other side of the coin, TOS has proven quite difficult to bounce back from for a number of pitchers around the league. Matt Harvey is the most well-known example, but we’ve also seen thoracic outlet syndrome derail the careers of Tyson Ross, Phil Hughes and Nate Karns, among many others. Chris Archer’s return from thoracic outlet surgery in 2021 hasn’t gone well, as he pitched just 4 1/3 innings for the Rays before going down with a forearm issue.
Every case is unique to the pitcher in question, of course, so historical precedent only tells us so much. Strasburg is still signed another five years, so the Nats will need to hold out particularly strong hope that he’s able to work back from this and return to something approximating his prior levels of performance. He and Patrick Corbin are both locked into hefty salaries in 2022, and the Nats will also have Joe Ross, Austin Voth, Erick Fedde and Paolo Espino as in-house rotation options. Still, Max Scherzer is set to reach free agency this winter — and could be traded this week — and Strasburg’s health is again up in the air; long-term starting pitching help seems likely to be a focal point for the Nationals both this winter and in the hours leading up to Friday afternoon’s trade deadline.
Hope Nats have insurance
It would have been expensive but well worth it almost necessary. I hate 90 percent of all hundred million contracts. But this one was right up there with Ellsberry Pujols Miggy on the stupid scale.
That’s a lot of contracts.
Yet teams keep handing them out. They must be crazy and destitute by now. If only they have financial advisors and accountants. You make MLB sound it’s one big looney bin.
Hey, you know who doesn’t have any 100m contracts? The Pirates. How’s that working out for them?
It bugs me when people are like, “Oh, shouldn’t pay that guy that much!” So few people complain though when these guys are barely scraping by in the minors for next to nothing, or they have no shot of earning more money their first 6 seasons in the Bigs if they take off.
@appalachian outlaw-
MLB league minimum is over $570,000 a year for pre-arb and has been increasing every season. Then in are you get raises on top of that.
You’re right, I couldn’t imagine having to live on just half a million bucks for those couple years.
As far as minor leaguers go, short season gets $400, goes up to $700 a week for just a couple months worth of work. Then again, you have a shot at a signing bonus in draft, and, nobody forces you to play a game for a living.
Those guys bet on themselves and need to be smart enough to know when it’s not worth it. If you’re not smart enough to know you don’t have the talent, that’s on you. And if you just love playing knowing you don’t have the talent, that’s also on you. No sympathy for any of that here.
@app-outlaw
Hey, you know who doesn’t have any $100M contracts? The Rays. How is that working out for them?
None of this changes the fact that most mega contracts end up being regrettable sooner rather than later.
Not really, they were just coming off a world series, they already lost one franchise corner-stone in Harper, they were going to lose another in Rendon, ownership ajd management couldn’t let the fans see another homegrown developed talent leave.
That was especially coming off looking the best he’s ever had and being the main cog behind winning them a title..
Their fans would have revolted, they could finesse their way out of Harper with his record deal ajd having Soto, and fans could kind of understand even Rendon with Kieboom coming up, but there would have been some nasty backlash if they let Strasburg go…
It’s easy for us to say it was a dumb deal, but their ownership ajd management was under an immense pressure to get that deal done..I, personally, can’t blame them whatsoever!!
Their management is under immense pressure to win.
Handing about 1/4 of a billion to a guy that is ALWAYS hurt for a time period in his late 30s is just, and was, dumb.
That makes winning a bit harder when your DL is taking up that much salary.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
This sucks.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Tatsumaki is easily one of the most foolish trolls this site has ever seen. He says the most outlandish, stupid things on a consistent basis, and he does this on nearly every article. He’s a flat out idiot who should not even be paid attention to. Just ignore him, like the rest of society most likely does. This is how he tries to get the attention he so desperately craves.
Wish him a full, quick recovery. Definitely fun to watch when he’s healthy.
Hardly any players recover from tos….he is likely finished. Hope nats have some sort of insurance on his deal. He probably knew he was gonna have this before signing deal….tos isn’t something that just comes up, you deal with it for years which leads to surgery.
Dumbest comment of the day.
No it’s not. TOS surgery is very bad and nearly all who have had it are a shell of what they were. He’ll never be the Strasburg that we remember.
Folks were saying that about TJ surgery before it became prevalent. TOS surgery is relatively new for athletes so let’s just the data and results speak, Doc,
I think the dumb part was implying that Strasburg would know he would need a niche surgery over a year before he actually received it, and the Nationals were somehow blindsided. Of course TOS is no joke.
The data does speak for itself. It’s worse than needing a TJ
Yup, TOS basically ruined Matt Harvey’s career.
Same with Tyler Thornburg, after a sensational 2.15 ERA 0.94 WHIP season with the Brewers he was traded to my team and immediately missed an entire season with TOS. When he came back, he had a 6.54 ERA 1.617 WHIP in a Red Sox uniform. It was one of the worst trades ever..
Guys came back from TJ from the start. This is different… It’s the shoulder.
But, but Harvey’s record in his last 2 starts is 2-0, 0 era!!
Was referring to the comment that he knew he was going to have it before he signed. Hard to believe people think you can hide something like this when signing a $245 million dollar contract. Making stupid statements like that just makes you look like a fool.
The data and results so far look really bad. Really bad.
Clearly your a casual gussie
I think every baseball knew that extension was not a good idea
I am a baseball and I thought it was a great idea
Impressive you own up to that.
Being a baseball ain’t easy or glamorous, but it’s honest work
Bet you’re glad they cracked down on Spider Tack.
@YourDreamGM …. Indeed! As opposed to the Epimetheus-like perspective that seems inherent to the human condition.
Can confirm I am baseball
I hope he has a speedy recovery.
I said it at the time of the new contract and I’ll say it again – terrible extension. I do not understand paying for past performance. The Nats should have let him walk and let someone else make the mistake.
I get what you mean but he was a free agent. If this deal was a extension it would be even worse.
Hope they have insurance. On the other hand, if he retires, they are off the hook for everything except deferred payments. Am I wrong? This procedure is so hard to come back from.
No one officially “retires” while injured.
Yes, if he retires they are off the hook. Why would he possibly even consider that?
Oh no. This is a David Wright situation where he’s injured, rehabs, almost makes it back but suffers a setback, and the process starts all over again. His future appearances will be brief and fleeting
Get well soon Stephen.
I know it’s redundant but that contract is just horrible. Never sign players as a reward especially injury prone guys like this. It’s not even like he’s a little bit injury prone, come hell or high water this dude will find a way on to that IL.
When it doubt never give players 200 300 million unless you have a big stadium that needs filled and harper is a free agent. Angels need to compete with Dodgers and would look horrible if they let trout leave. And some contracts work out, arod, scherzer etc. But odds aren’t in your favor.
NonDream GM — Impressive. When it doubt, therefore it am.
@Begone Spenglerd (parody) Why do you change your username and have conversations with yourself Tipsy McStagger aka trillaryhump16 aka AustinKearnsIsNotGod?
Clearly Austin Kearns is not God. And anyone who has ever needed to point that out should have their head examined (including you). Tipsy McStagger, a Simpson’s reference. How original. And trillaryhump16? Sounds like a handle from like 5 years ago. Are you stalking someone? Or are you solving a crime? Either way, I hope your Youtube investigation skills keep getting utilized. How exciting the internet must be for you!
Thanks for the inspiration in changing my name, Oswald!
Why do you change your name and have conversations with yourself? Why!?
I wanna know why Tipsy!
I WANNA KNOW WHY TIPSY!
What about the Pujols contract for a guy who is was born two years earlier than he has stated. The Hamilton contract was another stinker. I love when the Angels lose just because of their stupid name.
See Matt Harvey as an example of what can be expected once Strasburg returns
From what I understand there are a couple different TOC surgeries. The normal one has destroyed a lot of careers. But Kelley in Arizona had a different one that had a minimal impact.
Which one is Strasburg getting?
And my question is answered in the article. Should have read a little further down.
Is it the same one as Kelley’s?
Per the article, it is the more common procedure.
Very unlikely he’ll ever return to form after this.
Wow. This contract was always an albatross.
What pitchers besides Matt Harvey and now Strasburg have (or had) TOS?
Josh Beckett
Josh Beckett
Don’t forget Josh Beckett
Archer
Reading is hard
“W”, is that you!?
Phil Hughes.
What does this mean for Max? Keep him because you need pitching or trade because the stadium is burning down.
Probably doesn’t change much, but if anything I think it makes selling more likely. Best to see what they have in the system while they restock.
This is probably WHY they’re trading him.
They didn’t have Strasburg before. They can go two months without Scherzer.
The “orchid” is hurt again. Big surprise.
Don’t be cruel. WTF do you want him to do?
I cringed when he got his original 7 yr/$175M contract that he opted out of. $245M was a ridiculous amount to give him and it didn’t take long for it to look like an albatross. I guess Nats thought they could push their luck after how well the Scherzer contract went.
I wish Stephen the best and a quick recovery. He has had neck issues on and off over the years. I hope they found the real problem and this is a lasting solution.
Well said, Basquiat. Here’s hoping Stras comes back stronger than ever!
I remember when Strasburg was a rookie, and each start was labeled “Strasmas.” He lived up to the hype for the most part, too. Has there been a more highly touted rookie pitcher since?
No. He emerged on the scene with all the hype of the next pitching great. And that first year he dazzled.
Watched Stras deal a No-no in his final start as an Aztec. Virtually sealed his fate as first player drafted. As I recall, he only walked 11 guys that season in well over 100 innings pitched. Hope he fully recovers and ends his career on a much stronger note.
sucks, no one ever comes back from that well
The absolute dumbest signing in the history of MLB. Saw this coming before he became a major leaguer. His mechanics were and still are awful. When are these teams going to wake up and quit giving pitchers long term high dollar contracts????
Dumbest signing in the history of baseball? Dumber than the Orioles overpaying Chris Davis? Dumber than Bobby Bonilla? Rusney Castillo? Yasmany Tomas? The Phillies extending Ryan Howard when he still had 2 years left?
You know Mets still psy Saberhagen 250k a year. Think bruce sutter still collects from braves too.
Bonilla’s five-year, $29 million contract makes your list of dumbest ever?
mattg3 –
I think Brian 81177 made it very clear that your statement is so far off base that the base cant even be seen with the Hubbell telescope. Perhaps you missed all of those signings. I’d like to add Miguel Cabrera’s extension to the list, as well as Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. Strasburg’s contract may have been a bad idea, but it’s not even in the top 20 of all-time worst contracts
The contract isn’t over yet so you can’t really comment like that. I hope he retires. this way he doesn’t get paid while he is hurt. Think what the Nationals can do with that money if he retires.
Those are some of the worst.
– Barry Zito
Not even close to the Davis contract
Andruw jones and Jason Scmidt
Did a google search. There are a lot of them in all sports.
What a huge blow to the Nationals. Unfortunately, with the big contract track record on pitchers looking so good the past decade, this is a reminder they’re not always roses and sunshine. Here’s hoping Strasburg is able to beat the odds!
Yes, the short term, higher dollar contracts have worked so much better (Bauer)!
There is a difference between a contract that goes bad vs a dumb signing.
Carl Crawford, Panda, Jason Schmidt, Zito, etc. went bad
Strasburg, Pujols, etc. were dumb
Good bye
As a long time Mets fan and a human being I do not wish this upon him.
I was against Matt Harvey having this surgery and it has been the death null to his career.
Got to be a better way even taking time off.
If I was him I would research any other solution to this; track record for this solution is terrible and irreversible.
What was Harvey supposed to do?
Strasburg has barely pitched since the WS. I imagine he’s exhausted every possible option.
I think it’s death knell.
He’s gotta be one of the biggest busts of all time. Which is crazy because he’s had some success but damn he was supposed to be first ballot hall of famer
One of the worst takes I’ve read on this site.
Sky14 –
Wowwwww is good for that. Every comment I’ve ever read from him makes me say exactly that….wow. Just wow.
KCJ your opinion man, haven’t seen too intelligent of comments from you either. And sky 14 they built this man up back in the day as like the next Randy Johnson and that he was the greatest prospect we’ve seen in a long time. But he has been either inconsistent or injured a lot of his career. He was great helping them win a championship, but he’s not what they thought he was. Look at his stats, they prove it.
I’m not even a Nats fan, but dude, it’s a huge reach to call him a bust. He’s had his share of injury woes, but he’s largely produced when he’s healthy. That’s really all you can ask for. Injuries are just an unfortunate part of sports that no one can foresee.
C’mon, don’t be unappreciative like Mets fans were for years towards Harvey. Stras risked the rest of his career for that title.
Wow. The poor guy must have gotten Harveyed during their WS run and been trying to avoid surgery this whole time.
I’m a Mets fan, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to this sort of thing. What a fu-ing shame for MLB. I loved watching him pitch.
This does not come as a surprise given Strasburg’s injury history. That said, it has to be the most disappointing news of his career. I wish him a complete recovery and hope he can resume his career next year.
Healthy 1 season. Wins the World Series.
That’s the wrong Chris Carpenter link for BR, and I don’t remember the Chris Carpenter from the Cardinals ever coming back strong from his TOS surgery. He was diagnosed had the surgery and that was it. And why am I now “Ilikebaseball 2” Some jabroni paid to have my name?
Is this the final nail in the coffin for Stras? I sure hope not, but if history tells us anything, he is likely done and at best, will be a shell of his former self if he returns. TOS is a tough one, especially for a flame thrower.
He hasn’t been a flame thrower for awhile. His best pitch is his change-up.
Not a Nats fan but I hate see this. Such a stud pitcher when healthy, but never really healthy. The guy can’t catch a break. MLB is obviously better when their best are on the field. I hope he has a speedy, successful recovery.
I have TOS , it sucks, and I am no where close to being a baseball player.
Matt Harvey/Stephen Strasburg forever linked. In more ways than 1 now.
A perfect example of Recency Bias in free agency.. Out of 10, Strasburg had only pitched 200 innings in 2 seasons when the Nationals gave him a 7 year contract worth $245m. For that investment, they’ve gotten 26.2 IP in the last 2 years combined, and the future doesn’t look bright.
andrewlichey –
Not sure I’m understanding how what you’re saying qualifies as “recency bias”….but I guess you have a different idea of what that means
Def::Recency bias is a cognitive bias that favors recent events over historic ones.
Two years ago Strasburg ended the season a free agent. He was coming off the best year of his career. The Nationals gave him a contract befitting that season, instead of the previous 9.
How was Chris Carpenter a success story?! TOS basically ended his career! He came back late in 2012 but didn’t pitch well and never pitched again. Yeah, further injuries also contributed to his retirement, but TOS was certainly a contributing factor.
Oooff, that Strasburg extension is looking like a huge mistake at this point.
This surgery is a doozy, but seems MLB is getting better at rehabbing from it. Wish him well, that contract.. as someone said, hope they had insurance
Was a terrible move for the Nats. Considering his injury history I was SMH when I saw the contract announced. Wish him well but Id say his career is probably over. No team pays someone 36 mil a year to watch a guy flounder. Nats would rather pay him to go home. He will end up released upon return if he struggles. TOS is no joke. It ends careers.. Hopefully the doctor grounds him and insurance pays.