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Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg Day-To-Day With Calf Injury

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2:23 pm: Fortunately, it seems there’s not much cause for concern. Strasburg felt some discomfort in his left calf but says the issue is “nothing major” (via Dougherty). “It’s not something that’s going to require any sort (of) long-term recovery. It’s definitely good news. So day-to-day,” Strasburg added.

1:23 pm: Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg left his Spring Training outing early this afternoon, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post was among those to note (video provided by Alex Fast of Pitcher List). He appeared to show discomfort in his lower half.

There’s no indication at this point the issue is particularly serious. A return to form from Strasburg is key to the Nats’ hopes of contending in the NL East in 2021. After shining in the regular season between 2017-19, he took his game to new heights in the 2019 playoffs, helping Washington to a championship and winning World Series MVP honors. Unfortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome limited Strasburg to just five innings over two starts in 2020.

The Nationals are hoping for Strasburg to join Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Jon Lester in the season-opening rotation. The fifth spot remains undecided between Joe Ross and Erick Fedde, although Ross appears to have the inside track.

NL Notes: Nationals, Giants, Rockies, Marlins

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Teams contacted the Nationals about third baseman Carter Kieboom this offseason, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington). Kieboom hasn’t found any success at the MLB level to date, but it’s no surprise rival clubs would have interest in the 23-year-old. Washington held onto the former top prospect, who looks like the favorite to open the season as the starter at the hot corner.

More from Washington and other Senior Circuit cities:

  • Stephen Strasburg had a normal offseason, he told reporters today (via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). The Nationals star right-hander was limited to five innings last season by carpal tunnel syndrome in his throwing hand. Fortunately, the procedure he underwent last summer addressed the issue. The former World Series MVP will be a key piece in the Nats’ hopes of contending in a difficult NL East.
  • Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi discussed the team’s newest addition to the pitching staff this afternoon (via Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic). Right-hander Shun Yamaguchi, who worked exclusively out of the bullpen last season for the Blue Jays, will come to camp as a starting pitcher. The 33-year-old can opt out of his minor-league deal at the end of spring training if he doesn’t make the team, Zaidi said. That’s a rather typical feature for non-roster arrangements.
  • When Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond opted out of the 2020 season, Colorado signed Matt Kemp the following day. With Desmond announcing his intent to sit out in 2021 as well, some speculation had arisen the Rockies could again turn to Kemp, who is back in free agency. Colorado manager Bud Black cast doubt on the idea, though, telling reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) the organization hasn’t recently discussed signing Kemp, even though Desmond had notified the team he was considering opting out a few weeks ago.
  • The Marlins signed Ross Detwiler to a one-year contract in January. Detwiler has started 95 games across his 12-year MLB career (including 12 starts for the 2019 White Sox). However, Miami views the veteran southpaw as strictly a bullpen option in 2021, manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including Craig Mish of SportsGrid). Detwiler worked solely in relief for Chicago in 2020, tossing 19.2 innings of 3.20 ERA/3.90 SIERA ball.

Mike Rizzo Discusses Nationals’ Lineup, Rotation

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While the Nationals don’t appear to be pursuing Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant in a trade, general manager Mike Rizzo does have interest in landing a big bat before the 2021 season begins.

Speaking Tuesday with Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and other reporters, Rizzo said the Nationals will “make offensive production a little more of a priority this offseason,” and ownership won’t stand in his way to spend on help. Rizzo left the door open for the team to address multiple positions, though he “downplayed” third base and catcher as glaring holes, Zuckerman writes. That could rule out high-profile free agents such as Justin Turner and J.T. Realmuto.

Where could the Nationals look instead? According to Rizzo: “I think we’re versatile in that it doesn’t have to be strictly a right fielder or strictly a left fielder. But a corner outfielder that complements the lineup, or a first baseman, would be the smoothest transition, because those are positions of need. With that said, you can get creative and get a bat in all sorts of ways. And with a little maneuvering, we’d feel comfortable doing it in all sorts of different creative ways.”

The Nationals do have two-thirds of their starting outfield set with superstar Juan Soto and Victor Robles, but it’s unclear who will replace the departed Adam Eaton in the other spot. George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Michael Brantley and Joc Pederson appear to be the most desirable outfield free agents. It’s unknown whether the Nationals have shown interest in them, but they do have the recently non-tendered Kyle Schwarber on their radar. Schwarber’s production took a huge dip in 2020, but he was a well-above-average hitter in the two prior seasons.

Meanwhile, the stable of free-agent first basemen doesn’t look particularly exciting. Washington did make an effort to sign Carlos Santana, though he wound up with the Royals. Versatile infielder DJ LeMahieu may be able to play the position on a regular basis if given the chance, but the Nats reportedly aren’t going after him. Longtime Nat Ryan Zimmerman (who opted out of last season), C.J. Cron, Mitch Moreland, Tommy La Stella, Jake Lamb and Justin Smoak are some other available names. There certainly aren’t any stars in that group. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be too tall of a task to upgrade over the Nats’ first basemen from last season, as each of Eric Thames, Asdrubal Cabrera and Howie Kendrick managed below-average production.

On the pitching side, the Nationals’ rotation went from one of the league’s best during their 2019 World Series-winning season to a disappointment during a disastrous ’20 for the team. Of course, it didn’t help that Washington had to go without right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who dealt with carpal tunnel syndrome and totaled just five innings for the season. Strasburg underwent surgery in September, but Rizzo expects him to be “full-go for spring training” (via Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com).

Strasburg still has six years left on his contract, while co-ace Max Scherzer is entering the last season of the seven-year, $210MM deal he inked in 2015. That has been among the most successful big-money signings ever, though another agreement doesn’t appear imminent. Rizzo revealed that there haven’t been “any substantive conversations about an extension for Max to my knowledge,” but he added that it “could be on the ownership level” and noted that extensions often come together during the spring.

Regardless of whether Washington extends the 36-year-old Scherzer, he’ll front its rotation with Strasburg and Patrick Corbin next year. The rest of their starting five is up in the air, but Rizzo hinted he will prioritize adding a veteran No. 4 starter after he addresses the team’s lineup, according to Kerr. As for the No. 5 role, manager Dave Martinez named Joe Ross, Austin Voth and Erick Fedde as in-house possibilities. He’s especially high on Ross, saying, “I want Joe to be in the rotation.” Ross opted out of last season over health concerns, but the 27-year-old plans to return in 2021.

Stephen Strasburg Undergoes Carpal Tunnel Surgery

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Stephen Strasburg underwent surgery to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome in his right hand earlier today, Nationals manager Dave Martinez tells reporters (Twitter link via Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington). Surgery was already known to be in store for Strasburg, who was placed on the 45-day injured list over the weekend. He’ll be out for the remainder of the 2020 season. The team has yet to provide a timeline for his recovery, though the hope is that he’ll be ready to go in 2021.

The 32-year-old Strasburg appeared in just two games this year and has otherwise been shelved by ongoing issues in his right hand. He was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome a bit more than a week ago and, after visiting with a specialist late last week, made the decision on Saturday to undergo surgery.

The absence of Strasburg has surely played a role in a pedestrian season for the Nats, who currently sit at 11-16, placing them last in the National League East. Washington, of course, famously rallied from a dismal start to the 2019 season as well, but if they’re to enjoy a similar Cinderella tale in 2020, they’ll need to do so without the help of last year’s World Series MVP.

With Strasburg sidelined, the Nats have been leaning on a combination of Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Anibal Sanchez, Austin Voth and Erick Fedde as their primary starters. Scherzer has had some uncharacteristic struggles but still posted passable results, but each of Sanchez (6.48 ERA), Voth (6.65) and Fedde (5.11) has struggled considerably. There’s no indication yet as to how the Nats plan to proceed at this year’s Aug. 31 trade deadline, but considering the fact that virtually the entire National League (Pittsburgh excluded) is within two and a half games of a Wild Card spot, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Washington pursue some affordable rotation upgrades — both to bolster its hopes in 2020 and perhaps to reinforce the staff in subsequent campaigns.

Martinez also revealed Wednesday that lefty Seth Romero, the Nationals’ first-round pick from 2017 who made his MLB debut earlier this year, will undergo surgery to place a pin his fractured right hand (Twitter link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). Martinez explained recently that Romero suffered the fracture when he slipped on some stairs and braced for the fall with his right hand. While it’s fortunate for his long-term outlook that the injury wasn’t in his pitching hand, the procedure seems likely to end Romero’s season.

The 24-year-old Romero allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings over three appearances in his first taste of the Majors. He’d missed much of the 2018 season and all of the 2019 season due to an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. To this point, Romero has still thrown only 50 professional innings.

Stephen Strasburg Diagnosed With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Aug. 22: To make room for Wil Crowe as the 29th man in today’s doubleheader, the Nationals moved Strasburg to the 60-day injured list, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. It’s a big blow for the defending champs who will be without their World Series MVP for the rest of the 2020 season. Strasburg will undergo surgery next week, per MASN.com’s Mark Zuckerman (via Twitter).

Aug. 21: After meeting with a nerve specialist, the initial diagnosis of carpal tunnel has been confirmed, Martinez tells reporters (Twitter link via Dybas). Strasburg and the team are weighing their options, one of which is surgery.

Aug. 15: The Nationals will place Stephen Strasburg on the injured list, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman. Strasburg’s still dealing with nerve irritation, according to manager Dave Martinez (via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The diagnosis appears to be carpal tunnel neuritis of the right hand, per Todd Dybas of NBCSW.

Strasburg’s early season injury issues continued Friday in a start against the Orioles. Strasburg departed in the first inning, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. The Nationals replaced him with righty Erick Fedde.

Strasburg made his 2020 debut last Sunday and yielded five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles. The O’s Anthony Santander smacked a home run off Strasburg on Friday before he had to leave his rematch against the club. Before losing his command in the 4th, however, Strasburg looked like his old self, pulling the chain on changeups and placing his fastball around the edges of the zone.

This has no doubt been an alarming way to open the season for Strasburg, whom the Nationals re-signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract in free agency last winter. Strasburg earned that mega-deal on the heels of a brilliant season that he finished as the World Series MVP for the Nationals, who won their first-ever championship. Like Strasburg, though, Washington has begun the season in less-than-ideal fashion, as it entered Friday with a 6-10 record.

With Strasburg out, Fedde is likely to move back into the rotation. The 27-year-old right-hander has been in and out of the rotation for the better part of the past two seasons. He was in contention for a rotation spot at the start of the season, but that spot went to Austin Voth. The Nationals rotation has been in flux for the entirety of the season, starting with a hamstring issue that bothered Max Scherzer. Anibal Sanchez, another mainstay from last year’s team, has struggled out the gate.

Ryne Harper will return to the Nats to fill Strasburg’s roster spot, per Dybas. Harper’s been used quite a bit this season, but he’s been shelled of late. In total, the 31-year-old former Twin owns a 8.10 ERA/6.13 FIP, though a 10.8 K/9 gives at least a little hope that Harper can become a reliable source of outs for the NAts.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Mets, Braves

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Nationals star Stephen Strasburg missed the beginning of the season with a nerve issue in his right hand, but it didn’t shelve him for long. The reigning World Series MVP made his season debut last Sunday, though the Orioles roughed him up for five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. It turns out that Strasburg may not have been at full strength during that outing, as manager Dave Martinez revealed Wednesday (via Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com) that the 32-year-old is still dealing with tingling in his hand. “I was a little bit concerned,” admitted Martinez, who added that “we will definitely have to keep an eye on it.” Strasburg’s scheduled to face Baltimore again on Friday, at least for now.

  • Oft-injured Mets infielder Jed Lowrie will undergo injections in his ailing left knee, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. The Mets won’t have a timeline for a potential 2020 debut for Lowrie until they see how those injections affect him. At this point, though, it’s clear the Mets can’t count on Lowrie to emerge as a late-season reinforcement. The club’s decision to sign him to a two-year, $20MM contract before 2019 has been an abject failure, as Lowrie has appeared in just nine games since.
  • The Braves aren’t expecting either second baseman Ozzie Albies or first baseman Matt Adams to return next week, manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday (via David O’Brien of The Athletic). Both players have been on the injured list since Aug. 5 (Albies for a wrist issue, Adams for a hamstring problem), though Albies is obviously the more important member of the club. After all, Albies turned in terrific seasons in 2018 and ’19 as a full-timer in the Braves’ lineup. They’ve primarily gone to Johan Camargo and Adeiny Hechavarria at the keystone in Albies’ absence.
  • Southpaw reliever Sam Freeman left the Nationals’ loss to the Mets on Wednesday with a flexor strain, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic relays. There’s “a level of concern” over the injury, per Martinez, especially because Freeman underwent Tommy John surgery in the past. Freeman, whom the Nats signed to a minor league contract in free agency, has tossed five scoreless innings for them this year.

Stephen Strasburg To Make 2020 Debut Sunday

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Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make his 2020 debut Sunday against the Orioles, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. Manager Dave Martinez indicated the Nationals are hopeful that Strasburg will give them 75 to 80 pitches in his first start of the season.

Strasburg has been on the shelf with a nerve issue in his right hand, which is certainly not the way he or the Nats expected him to begin the seven-year, $245MM contract they re-signed him to last offseason. Injuries have often been a problem for Strasburg, whose career began with great fanfare in 2010, but he stayed healthy in 2019 en route to a 209-inning campaign and a 3.32 ERA/3.25 FIP with 10.81 K/9 and 2.41 BB/9. He put the cherry on top with a marvelous playoff performance that concluded with a title for the team and a World Series MVP for himself.

This year’s Nationals have come out of the gates slowly at 4-5, but a few of the starters they’ve used – Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Austin Voth and Erick Fedde – have done well to prevent runs. Scherzer left his start Wednesday with a hamstring injury, but the three-time Cy Young winner is optimistic he’ll make his scheduled start, per Camerato.

Pitching Notes: Strasburg, Smith, Teheran, Fulmer, Marlins

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Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg missed his scheduled start Saturday on account of nerve irritation in his pitching hand, but he said at the time he wasn’t “extremely concerned” about it. Manager Dave Martinez issued another update on Strasburg on Monday, saying last year’s World Series MVP threw lightly, felt better and had less tingling in his hand, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets. It’s still unclear when Strasburg will debut this season, though. Having started 1-3 during a 60-game season, the Nats need him back sooner than later.

  • In encouraging news for the Braves, left-handed closer Will Smith is no longer dealing with COVID-19 symptoms and hopes to be closing in on a return, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Smith has been down since July 4 because of the coronavirus; if he is able to pitch this year, the hope is that he’ll be a major part of Atlanta’s late-game setup. That’s what the team was banking on when it signed Smith to a three-year, $40MM contract in free agency last winter. Smith earned that payday on the heels of several strong seasons with the Royals, Brewers and Giants.
  • Speaking of Atlanta, one of its former hurlers – Angels righty Julio Teheran – continues to progress toward a 2020 debut, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relays. Teheran, who’s recovering from his own coronavirus diagnosis, is slated to throw three innings and 55 pitches in Long Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, per pitching coach Mickey Callaway. If all goes well then, Teheran could join the Angels’ rotation. The team signed Teheran, 29, to a one-year, $9MM guarantee over the winter after a successful run in Atlanta from 2011-19.
  • The Tigers plan to use righty Michael Fulmer as an opener all year and are unlikely to let him go five to six innings in any of his appearances, pitching coach Rick Anderson revealed (via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). Fulmer’s a former AL Rookie of the Year winner who topped out at 164 2/3 frames in his second season in 2017, but it’s understandable that the Tigers are taking a cautious approach with him. After all, the 27-year-old is just returning from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2019. He took the mound Monday for the first time since September 2018 and surrendered four earned runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings during a blowout loss to the Royals.
  • The coronavirus has deprived the Marlins of a slew of players, leaving them to scramble for replacements, but righty prospect Edward Cabrera is not a candidate for their roster as of now, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Cabrera is not dealing with the virus, fortunately, but “a minor arm issue” that has stopped him from throwing over the past week, Jackson writes. The 22-year-old was tremendous last season between High-A and Double-A, combining for a stingy 2.23 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 96 2/3 innings, and is widely regarded as a top 100 prospect.

Stephen Strasburg Scratched From Saturday’s Start

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Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has been ruled out for tonight’s scheduled start against the Yankees, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. Strasburg is dealing with a “nerve issue” in his right hand, with manager Dave Martinez telling reporters he’s received an injection as a result and is considered day-to-day. The Nationals will trot right-hander Erick Fedde out to the mound in Strasburg’s place.

Strasburg’s 2020 season debut will be put on hold momentarily. As of now, it doesn’t seem like he’ll require an injured list stint, and he told reporters that he’s not “extremely concerned” that the injury will keep him out for an extended period. Without a doubt, it could serve Strasburg and the Nats well not to push it this early in the season.

Per Todd Dybas of NBC Sports, the nerve impingement in Strasburg’s hand has been an ongoing issue in recent weeks. That said, Strasburg told reporters that he’s already feeling better after receiving a shot yesterday.

After his World Series heroics earned him prestigious World Series MVP award, Strasburg was rewarded with a seven-year, $245MM contract to keep him in D.C. for the foreseeable future. Last year, the 32-year-old authored arguably his best regular season yet, reaching the 30-start threshold for the first time since 2014. In 209 innings, he struck out 251 batters and notched a 3.32 ERA.

Fedde, meanwhile, will have his hands full as he makes his first start of the season. He’ll be opposed by James Paxton and the Yankees, who welcome DJ LeMahieu back to the lineup after a bout with COVID-19. Fedde worked as both a starter and a reliever for the Nationals last year, making 12 starts and 9 relief appearances. His 4.50 ERA was the best mark he’s posted in a season since debuting in 2017, but his strikeout rate declined precipitously, as he averaged just 4.7 K/9, compared to the 8.4 K/9 he tallied over the previous two seasons.

Never On Top, But Still The Champs

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 The Washington Nationals have had more time than your average champ to take a bow after their World Series victory last October. Their win in Game Seven over the Astros more than seven months ago stands as the most recent non-exhibition game, and though Major League Baseball continues to bob and weave their way back to play amidst this pandemic, the Nats are still the champs until a new one is crowned. Luckily for baseball fans, Davey Martinez’s crew in Washington certainly made the most of their first World Series victory from a lore perspective. Their turnaround after starting 19-31 has been the most often trumpeted fact from their run to the top, but there are plenty more factoids that add flavor to the Nats’ first championship.

For example, as their Twitter account graciously reminds us, they’re “The Greatest Comeback Team In MLB History” after reversing an in-game deficit five times when facing elimination in the postseason. Then there’s Ryan Zimmerman hitting the first home run in their World Series history 15 years after the Nats made him the first-ever draft pick. Howie Kendrick certainly has a story to share, as does Stephen Strasburg, as does, believe it or not, Gerardo Parra, who bonded the clubhouse around – of all things – a South Korean children’s song.

They also became the first team to win a World Series via four road wins, they took out the Astros just weeks before news broke of the sign-stealing scandal, and they coined multiple slogans along the way, like “Stay In The Fight,” “Bumpy Roads Lead To Beautiful Places,” and “Go 1-0 Every Day.”

But despite the rings, the accolades, and the lore aplenty, there’s at least one thing the Nationals did not accomplish. The 2019 Nats became just the second team in the Wild Card Era to win the World Series without spending a single day in first place (2003 Marlins). 

Of course, the introduction of the wild card in 1995 makes this fun fact possible. Since the single wild card was brought into play, we have 25 seasons of wild card history. Seven wild cards survived the gauntlet of the playoffs to win it all: 1997 Marlins, 2002 Angels, 2003 Marlins, 2004 Red Sox, 2011 Cardinals, 2014 Giants, 2019 Nationals (that’s it, right?). While the run in the early aughts gave the wild card some serious juju, the shine had worn off a bit in recent years. Still, each of the past two decades brought a 30% championship rate for wild card entrants. 

Meanwhile, World Series champions on the whole over the past 25 years have spent an average of 95.88 games in first. Of course, we’re dealing with a small sample size here and a fairly large spread. A standard deviation of ~54 games means that roughly 95% of our champs should have spent somewhere between 41 and 150 games in first, meaning there really are many ways to skin this cat – especially since more than a quarter of World Series champs fell beyond those bounds (thanks a lot, sample size). 

The 2016 Cubs came pretty close to running the table, leading the NL Central for 154 games before capping a season for the ages. They were outdone – White Sox fans will not be surprised to hear – by their crosstown rival. The White Sox were in first place for 161 games during the 2005 season before sweeping the Astros. They did, in fairness, share first place with the Tigers and Twins for (small) portions of the season. The ’02 Angels and ’97 Marlins, meanwhile, barely managed to escape our list by spending 12 and 11 days in first, respectively. 

So while the Nationals had a season for the ages in 2019, there’s yet more for this team to accomplish (if/when play resumes for the 2020 season). The Braves would seem to rule the roost, but the Phillies held a share of the NL East lead for 60 days of the 2019 season, and the Mets took the top spot for a cool 14 days. The Marlins’ 105-loss season didn’t share a ton in common with the Nats’ by the end of the year, but this fact they shared: neither managed to lead the division for even a day.

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