Stephen Strasburg

Nationals To Promote Erick Fedde, Place Stephen Strasburg On DL

By Steve Adams | July 27, 2017 at 8:11am CDT

July 27: The Nationals are officially terming Strasburg’s injury as a nerve impingement in his right elbow, per this morning’s announcement of Strasburg’s DL placement. Left-hander Sammy Solis has been recalled to give the bullpen some extra depth for the time being, while Fedde is slated to start in place of Strasburg on Saturday.

July 26, 9:36pm: Manager Dusty Baker confirmed after the game that Fedde is coming up and that Strasburg will be placed on the 10-day disabled list (Twitter link via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). The skipper was “adamant” that Strasburg will only miss one start, Janes adds.

8:05pm: The Nationals are calling up top pitching prospect Erick Fedde, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The former first-round pick, who ranked 70th on Baseball America’s midseason list of the game’s top 100 prospects, will likely start in place of Stephen Strasburg, Sherman adds.

Fedde, 24, was Washington’s first-round selection in the 2014 draft. The Nats made him the No. 18 overall pick that season despite the fact that he had Tommy John surgery not long before the draft. He’s spent most of his career in the minors as a starter but was briefly moved to a relief role in part to limit his innings but also given the potential for a midseason promotion to help a struggling Nationals relief corps.

The Nationals recently moved Fedde back to a rotation role, and while he was torched for six runs without recording an out in his initial return to the rotation, he’s allowed just three runs on 10 hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in his past 11 2/3 frames. Overall, he’s worked to a 3.72 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with well above-average ground-ball tendencies in 77 1/3 innings between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse this season.

Fedde dropped out of the top 100 on MLB.com’s midseason rankings, but Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo still rank him third among Washington farmhands. Their report notes that he sits 91-94 mph with his fastball and can run his velocity a bit higher when needed. He pairs that with a plus slider, average changeup and above-average control, giving him a third starter’s ceiling, per Callis and Mayo.

While this seems like it could very well be a spot start for Strasburg, whose injury isn’t believed to be serious, there’s an obvious opening at the back of the Washington rotation as well. Joe Ross underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, and the Nats have since relied on veteran Edwin Jackson to make a pair of starts. Jackson has been serviceable in those two outings, but Jackson struggled with the Orioles earlier this season and hasn’t enjoyed big league success as a starting pitcher since 2012 (his last run with the Nationals).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury News: Strasburg, Kershaw, Bour, Yankees, Kipnis

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2017 at 4:55pm CDT

The Nationals announced today that right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who exited with a potential injury in his most recent start, had “some nerve impingement that has been alleviated,” as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets. Earlier in the day, skipper Dusty Baker had told MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko that Strasburg is feeling better and may actually take the hill for his next scheduled start (Twitter link). Chelsea Janes of the Post, meanwhile, tweets that Strasburg kept in line with typical between-starts routine by playing catch today as well. Janes further adds that Strasburg did not undergo an MRI but did have an ultrasound procedure, which compared favorably to previous exams. It’s been reported that a more serious Strasburg injury may well have impacted the Nats’ deadline plans, but it seems that they’ve avoided that scenario. Janes reported yesterday that in such a case, the bullpen would continue to be a larger priority.

Some more relevant injury news with the deadline less than a week away…

While Clayton Kershaw’s injury is obviously a blow to the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times offers a bit more encouraging detail on the situation. While the team was initially fearful that Kershaw had again injured the disk that he herniated last season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that a scan confirmed that this injury does not involve last year’s herniated disk. That was the Dodgers’ greatest concern, according to Roberts, who called it a “safe bet” that Kershaw would make it back to the team later during the regular season. Shaikin notes that even the back end of the projected four to six week timeline would have Kershaw back in the rotation in early September. Regarding the potential that Kershaw’s injury pushes the Dodgers to make a run at Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish, Roberts simply stated that every team in baseball would love to have Darvish, but stressed that he has no plans to try to persuade the front office into action: “I can’t put the pressure on. I’m not going to put the pressure on.”
The Marlins announced today that first baseman Justin Bour and shortstop JT Riddle have been placed on the 10-day DL due to a right oblique strain and left biceps tendinitis, respectively. There was no timetable given for the return of either player, but oblique strains typically cost a player at least a month. Bour didn’t seem especially likely to be moved anyhow, but the fact that he looks to be facing an absence of a few weeks further limits the chance of any trade involving the 29-year-old slugger.
While both Aaron Hicks and Tyler Austin are progressing in their rehab from their respective oblique and hamstring strains, it doesn’t sound as if either is on the verge of a minor league rehab assignment just yet. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweets that both are hitting off a tee and playing soft toss, per Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Each has been out since late June, and Girardi told reporters that they’re both at about the same spot in their recovery process, though he declined a specific timetable for either player’s return.
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis ran the bases on Tuesday, and manager Terry Francona said he could play in rehab games as soon as this coming weekend. That would seem to represent an accelerated timeline, as Francona suggested back on Friday that Kipnis was still “weeks, not days” away from returning to the team.

NL East Notes: Strasburg, Rizzo, Hill, Marlins, Neshek

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2017 at 8:16pm CDT

Stephen Strasburg left today’s game between the Nationals and Diamondbacks after just two innings. Manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Jamal Collier (Twitter links) and other reporters that the star right-hander was removed as a precautionary measure after Strasburg couldn’t get loose. No tests are scheduled for Strasburg when the team returns to Washington, though he will be examined by team doctors. “An achy forearm [and] general tightness” is how Strasburg described his injury to the media (including Collier), and the righty said that he preferred to leave the game when he did before the problem turned into something serious.

Here’s more from around the division…

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo isn’t planning to look for outfield help before the trade deadline, Rizzo told media (including MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman). Jayson Werth, Michael Taylor and Chris Heisey are all on the DL, and Ryan Raburn is on bereavement leave, putting the Nats in a tight spot for outfield depth. Still, Rizzo believes the club has enough depth to hold up without any external additions. “I think we have confidence in the guys we have, and as long as the core of our lineup is healthy and hitting on all cylinders, I think we can make it through until Jayson and Michael get better. I don’t see that being too far of a distance,” Rizzo said.
Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill stated two weeks ago that his team wasn’t looking to move any core names like Giancarlo Stanton, J.T. Realmuto, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, Justin Bour and Dan Straily at the deadline, and Hill reiterated that stance today. “It’s not stopping calls from coming in,” Hill tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. “It’s been fairly consistent, with people checking in to see where we’re at to see if we may be open to expanding the players we’re talking about. But we haven’t put any of those guys in play.” Hill did note that the team is open to discussing its relievers in trade talks, as evidenced by their trade of David Phelps to the Mariners earlier this week and the significant buzz around closer A.J. Ramos.
In an open letter to Jeffrey Loria, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (via his Facebook page) asks the Marlins owner to “free Giancarlo Stanton” by trading him before the team is sold. Such a trade, Rosenthal reasons, would help all parties involved — the Marlins would get some quality prospects, the new owners would get Stanton’s enormous contract off the books, Stanton himself would get to join a contender, and baseball itself would see one of its biggest young stars in a most positive environment.
The Cubs and Dodgers recently had scouts watching the Phillies’ Pat Neshek in action, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter link). Both teams have been known to be looking at other relievers, so it isn’t any surprise that Neshek is on their radar. Neshek, widely expected to be moved before the deadline, has been linked to several teams — Chicago and L.A. are the newest names on a long list that includes the Nationals, Royals, Red Sox, Yankees, Brewers and Rays.

NL Notes: D-backs, Mets, Phillies, Nats

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2017 at 7:08pm CDT

The Diamondbacks could be in for bad news regarding right-hander Shelby Miller, who, as Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com tweets, exited his start Sunday with forearm tightness. Arizona is scheduling an MRI for Miller, who lasted four-plus innings and allowed three earned runs in a loss to the Dodgers. Manager Torey Lovullo is trying to be optimistic, notes Bloom, but Steve Gilbert of MLB.com observes (on Twitter) that the situation is “not good.” Forearm tightness often portends Tommy John surgery, which would be the biggest setback yet in Miller’s rocky tenure with the Diamondbacks. The club’s previous regime drew seemingly endless criticism for sending a Dansby Swanson– and Ender Inciarte-led package to the Braves for Miller two winters ago. General manager Dave Stewart and senior vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson lost their jobs last fall after Miller struggled through a 2016 to forget, pitching to a 6.15 ERA in 101 major league innings and enduring a demotion to the minor leagues. Thanks in part to improved velocity, though, Miller has fared respectably this year with a 4.09 ERA and 3.29 FIP in 22 frames.

NL East Notes: Prado, Harvey, Scherzer, Strasburg

By Jeff Todd | March 16, 2017 at 9:56am CDT

Marlins third baseman Martin Prado left last night’s WBC action clutching his hamstring, leading to fears that he may have suffered a reasonably significant injury. Early indications are that it’s minor, tweets MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, though a full diagnosis will not be available until Prado is evaluated by the organization’s medical staff. He’s heading back to the club’s spring facilities for just that purpose.

Here’s more from the NL East:

Mets starter Matt Harvey isn’t showing his typical velocity levels this spring, as James Wagner of the New York Times writes, but that the import of that fact remains open to interpretation. The star righty, who’s working back from thoracic outlet surgery, was somewhat philosophical. “It is what it is,” he said. “It’s going to be there or it’s not. I have to go out there and pitch … .” Skipper Terry Collins, meanwhile, said that he’s focused more on whether Harvey is commanding his pitches than how fast they’re coming in. And as John Harper of the New York Daily News notes, pitching coach Dan Warthen suggests that it’ll likely just take more time for the velo to return. As things stand, Harvey is sitting in the 92 to 93 mph range with his fastball, which is around two ticks slower than he worked last year.
The health and effectiveness of Nationals staff aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will go a long way toward determining the team’s 2017 outlook. The former is building up today with a three-inning outing, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (links to Twitter). He’ll be working on reintroducing his typical fastball grip to the mix after utilizing a three-finger approach for the bulk of the spring to protect the fractured finger that has held him back. Though manager Dusty Baker acknowledged it’s unlikely Scherzer will be able to take the ball on Opening Day, it also seems reasonable to hope he won’t need to open the year on the DL. As for Strasburg, the club thinks that it has identified and corrected a pitch-tipping issue with the help of pitching coach Mike Maddux, as Janes also writes.

NL Notes: Strasburg, Albies, Peterson, Dahl

By Jeff Todd | March 4, 2017 at 10:53am CDT

Stephen Strasburg threw well in his spring debut for the Nationals yesterday, representing a promising step for the key righty, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Notably, Strasburg also showed some tweaks to his approach that he evidently intends to carry into the 2017 season. Most interestingly, the veteran hurler worked exclusively from the stretch, explaining that he has toyed with that idea after finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his mechanics from a full windup. Likewise, he’s planning to pare back the usage of his slider, an offering that he relied on far more in 2016 than ever before. The hope is that by utilizing that pitch less, and backing off on his work between starts, Strasburg can better maintain his health throughout a full season.

Here’s more from the National League:

Braves prospect Ozzie Albies is set to be examined on Monday, with hopes he’ll be cleared for full baseball activities, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Albies, who is working back from an olecranon fracture in his right elbow, may be ready for game action as soon as the middle of next week. That still doesn’t leave much time or opportunity for him to earn an Opening Day job, though that possibility likely evaporated when the injury took place. The 20-year-old will likely end up spending a bit more time refining his game in the upper minors, though it seems reasonable to anticipate he’ll get the call up to the majors at some point in the season to come.
Meanwhile, fellow Braves prospect Dustin Peterson will be delayed to start the season after undergoing hamate surgery, per a club announcement. Removal of the hook of the hamate bone is a fairly common procedure, and doesn’t appear to pose a significant problem in the long run, but it tends to sap power for some time upon a player’s return. The 22-year-old outfielder is seen as an increasingly important part of Atlanta’s future. Last year, he slashed .282/.343/.431 and hit a dozen home runs in 578 plate appearances at Double-A, representing a big step forward from his prior output. Peterson came to the Braves from the Padres as part of the pre-2015 Justin Upton trade.
The Rockies are exercising caution with prized young outfielder David Dahl, with manager Bud Black suggesting that his upper back injury is a bit more concerning than had initially been hoped, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Dahl will likely be out for a “few weeks” as the organization takes a closer look at the issue and treats it, which seemingly makes him unlikely to join the active roster at the start of the season. Just what that means for the organization remains unclear, but it likely clears the way for Gerardo Parra to handle regular duties in left field to begin the year. While a big showing from top prospect Raimel Tapia could present him with a chance to return to the majors, perhaps the injury opens the door most clearly for the right-handed-hitting Stephen Cardullo to head north with the club.

NL East Notes: Mets, Reyes, Nola, Strasburg, Braves

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2017 at 10:50pm CDT

The Mets face the potential departure of a big portion of their MLB position players after the season, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. But the organization still hopes to fill many holes without going outside the organization. “I don’t think we will have to sign five free agents,” says assistant GM John Ricco. “Some of the answers will come from within, and I think between now and July we will get a better idea of what we have and what we need.” It’s certainly possible to imagine veteran Jose Reyes playing any number of roles this year and beyond; per Ricco, the team is confident that it would be able to work out a new deal to keep him if there’s a sensible role available.

Here’s more from the NL East:

Phillies righty Aaron Nola showed well in his spring debut, representing a notable step in his recovery from an elbow injury, as Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports. Nola, 23, showed good velocity and looked sharp, though perhaps that was to be expected. The big question for Nola and the Phils is whether his arm can stay healthy for the full season to come.
Speaking of the Nola clan, older brother Austin Nola is attempting to convert into a catcher with the Marlins, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Nola, 27, has never really hit much in the minors and struggled to a .261/.308/.376 batting line last year over 407 Triple-A plate appearances. Nevertheless, he was given a 40-man roster spot as he makes the transition to a new position.
Star Nationals hurler Stephen Strasburg will make his own spring debut tomorrow, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. He says he’s feeling healthy after missing the end of the 2016 season with a forearm strain. As ever, Strasburg’s health will be a key factor for the Nats in 2017.
It seems the Braves are leaning toward carrying eight relievers to open the year, as Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Roster considerations could be at least a partial consideration, as Atlanta has several out-of-options relievers to consider. Going with a four-man bench would likely leave Kurt Suzuki, Jace Peterson, and Chase d’Arnaud on the roster with Emilio Bonifacio battling with Micah Johnson for the final spot, Bowman writes.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Plawecki, Morgan, Coghlan

By Steve Adams | February 27, 2017 at 10:54am CDT

Matt Wieters’ addition gives the Nationals at least nine Scott Boras clients on their roster — a fact that prompted Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post to explore the relationship between Boras and the Nationals. As Svrluga notes, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon were each drafted as Boras clients, and GM Mike Rizzo stated to Svrluga that he’d always draft the best talent available regardless of representation. Lefty Gio Gonzalez, meanwhile, switched to the Boras Corporation after being extended by the Nats. Still, there’s a strong relationship between Boras and Nats owner Ted Lerner, who negotiated Rafael Soriano’s two-year, $28MM deal directly with Boras and, according to Svrluga, was the “primary architect” on Strasburg’s $175MM extension. Svrluga notes that some in the organization consider the relationship between Boras and Lerner to be unhealthy.

As for Wieters, Svrluga suggests that Boras set out targeting something in the range of the five-year deals signed by Brian McCann and Russell Martin in recent seasons, which prompted the Nats to pursue Derek Norris rather than Wieters. As his price dipped, the Nationals slowly reentered the picture and ultimately came away with what could very well prove to be a nice bargain. Nats fans, and those interested in the Lerner/Boras dynamic, are strongly encouraged to read Svrluga’s column in its entirety.

A bit more from the NL East…

The Mets and Kevin Plawecki had an injury scare over the weekend when the 26-year-old catcher suffered an apparent knee injury on a play at the plate involving Nationals outfielder Rafael Bautista. However, while Plawecki was down for an extended period of time and had to be helped off the field, he’s been diagnosed with a knee contusion and should be cleared to resume workouts in the next few days, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. While Plawecki is a long shot to crack the Opening Day roster due to the presence of Travis d’Arnaud and Rene Rivera on the Mets’ roster, he once again figures to be the team’s first line of defense in the event of an injury to one of the primary two backstops (and d’Arnaud does have a lengthy injury history). While Plawecki has hit just .211/.287/.285 in 409 Major League plate appearances, he’s a lifetime .279/.331/.433 hitter in parts of three Triple-A seasons and is just two years removed from ranking among the game’s top 100 prospects.
Former starter Adam Morgan is now vying for a spot as a lefty in the Phillies’ bullpen and seemingly has a good chance to secure such a role, writes Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com. Manager Pete Mackanin would prefer to have two left-handers in his bullpen, Lawrence writes, and there are only five southpaws in camp with the Phils: Morgan, Joely Rodriguez, Elniery Garcia (a minor league starter) and non-roster veterans Sean Burnett and Cesar Ramos. Morgan tells Lawrence that he’d happily accept whatever role the Phillies ask of him, joking that he’d serve as the backup catcher if necessary. All but two of Morgan’s 38 Major League appearances have been starts, but the Phils have an emerging young core of rotation arms plus veterans in the form of Jeremy Hellickson and Clay Buchholz.
Chris Coghlan discussed his unique journey through professional baseball and his hopes for making the Phillies roster out of Spring Training with CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. Coghlan, who had interest from other clubs but chose to sign with the rebuilding Phillies — drew a parallel between the present-day Phillies and the 2014 Cubs team on which he played. (The Cubs lost 89 games before surging to the postseason in 2015 and a World Series title in 2016.) “We went from not being good to being really good,” said Coghlan. “We grew together and built relationships. This team is in a transition period of trying to groom guys, but they also need older guys to bridge the gap and I thought it would be a great opportunity. … I just want to come in here, establish myself, be a great teammate, lead by example and maybe I can stick around long term and see this thing through.”

NL East Notes: Nationals, Wieters, Mets, Arano, MacPhail

By Steve Adams | February 23, 2017 at 8:50pm CDT

Nationals ace Max Scherzer has been recovering from a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger, and he’s on track to throw off a mound for the first time this spring on Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll progress to bullpen sessions and be game-ready in a couple of weeks, Zuckerman adds. While pitching coach Mike Maddux conceded that Scherzer could be “a start or two” behind the rest of the team’s rotation, the extra time in Spring Training (which was worked in due to the World Baseball Classic) will prove beneficial to Scherzer. Both Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark threw in an intrasquad game today as well, Zuckerman notes — a particularly important note for Strasburg. The 28-year-old righty saw his 2016 season end in early September due to a flexor mass strain but was able to throw his fastball, curveball and changeup in Thursday’s session.

Nationals Notes: Espinosa, Turner, Jansen, Strasburg

By Connor Byrne | December 11, 2016 at 12:10pm CDT

Speaking to reporters Sunday, Nationals president/general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged that now-traded middle infielder Danny Espinosa would have been “frustrated” as a bench player. The executive downplayed the notion that sending Espinosa to the Angels on Saturday had anything to do with the 29-year-old’s reported discontent with a diminished role, however. According to Rizzo, he didn’t speak with either Espinosa or his agent after the team acquired outfielder Adam Eaton on Wednesday, and he added that the Espinosa deal had been in the works for a while. “I have no beef or problem with Danny Espinosa. Never have,” said Rizzo. “And I still consider him a good player that gave everything he had” (all Twitter links via Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, Chelsea Janes of the Post and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com).

Here’s more on the reigning NL East champions:

Trea Turner’s emergence as a rookie last season was one of the factors that ultimately made Espinosa expendable, but the up-and-coming star didn’t expect the veteran to go anywhere. “Little surprised, he was a big part of us last year,” Turner told Zuckerman. “But I think that’s direction we’re heading after Eaton trade.” Turner’s a natural shortstop, though he saw action there in just two of 75 games in 2016 because of Espinosa’s presence. The 23-year-old is now set to move back to his typical position next season after mostly working in center field (45 games) and at second base (28 games) in 2016. “I think that’s where I’m most comfortable,” Turner said regarding shortstop. “I look forward to proving that I can play there at a high level” (Twitter links).
Washington is one of the teams in the race for the best pitcher remaining on the free agent market, closer Kenley Jansen, and Rizzo revealed Sunday that he and the longtime Dodger’s agent have stayed in touch throughout the offseason. Other options are under consideration, though, per Rizzo (Twitter link via Janes). Those options could perhaps include the White Sox’s David Robertson and the Rays’ Alex Colome – two closers whom the Nats have pursued via trade.
Right-hander Stephen Strasburg slider/cutter was his second-most-used pitch in 2016 (he threw it 17.1 percent of the time), tweets Jamal Collier of MLB.com. However, Strasburg will rely less on the pitch going forward because he believes it put too much stress on his arm during an injury-shortened campaign, he said Sunday. Strasburg inked a seven-year, $175MM extension in May, but he subsequently landed on the disabled list multiple times – once because of elbow soreness in late August. He then returned from his elbow ailment for one start, a Sept. 7 outing in which tossed 2 1/3 innings, before missing the rest of the season with a flexor mass strain. Fortunately, Strasburg expects to be fine for 2017 (Twitter links via Janes and Zuckerman).

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