Strasburg shut down in D.C. following latest setback
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Stephen Strasburg’s attempt to pitch again for the Nationals has been put on hold again.
Strasburg has suffered another setback in recent weeks while trying to build up for the start of spring training and is staying at home in Washington, according to manager Davey Martinez.
The 34-year-old right-hander, who has played just one major league game since his chest surgery in July 2021, reported a recurrence of the nerve pain that has plagued him during that process after his second shot attempt at Bullpen Hill at Nationals Park. He has been shut down with no firm timetable for a return while he and the team plan their next moves.
“He threw a bullpen, it went really well,” Martinez said in his first spring press conference. “He went to throw a second bullpen and after the second bullpen he just didn’t bounce the next day like he thought it would.”
This is not necessarily a surprising development. Although Strasburg had told teammates and staff his arm felt great all winter, there were always concerns he wouldn’t be able to throw down a hill without problems.
Indeed, when it came time to begin this ramp-up process, the same neck and shoulder nerve problems that had plagued Strasburg for several years reappeared.
Given the timing of the setback, Strasburg never made it to Florida for the start of spring training. He wasn’t there when the Nationals pitchers and catchers took the field for their first official practice session of 2023 this afternoon. Although he has a locker here at the home clubhouse, he is not listed among the 34 healthy pitchers in the spring training squads.
Given how careful they’ve been with him all along, the odds of Strasburg making it to West Palm Beach before camp ends don’t seem high.
“I’m not going to put a timeline on when he might or might not come,” Martinez said. “Right now it’s about Stephen and making sure he can come back when he can. It’s tough. The guy endured a lot. I know he worked hard all winter, rehab every day, six days a week. So he invested time.”
Despite sticking to a diligent rehab program, Strasburg simply hasn’t been able to fully recover his arm in more than two years. After signing a seven-year, $245 million contract following his performance as World Series MVP in 2019, he made just two starts in 2020 before undergoing carpal tunnel wrist surgery. He only played five games in 2021 before going under the knife again for more serious chest surgery. And while he insisted he was feeling great physically after a comeback start last June in Miami, he returned to the injured list shortly thereafter with a stress reaction in his ribs and never returned to the court before the end of the season.
All of this potentially leaves Strasbourg and the Nationals with some tough decisions to make. He remains under contract through the 2026 season and guarantees any money still owed to him unless he voluntarily retires. Barring another breakthrough treatment that will allow him to regain full health, however, it’s unclear how much longer he and the team plan to continue on a path that hasn’t yielded positive results yet.
“I know in his heart he wants to serve,” Martinez said. “And I can’t wait until the day when – if he pitches – he comes back and pitches for us. I know the fans want to see him play again. But at this point it’s just for health reasons. And it’s the same; it’s the nerve that bothers him. I know he’s going to be checked out by some doctors again, so we’ll see. But he won’t be with us right now.”