Pitching Sensation Stephen Strasburg Has Inflammation in Shoulder
In Tuesday night’s game, the Washington Nationals most prized asset Stephen Strasburg, was scratched from his scheduled start. He was examined by doctors shortly after being pulled from the line-up and was diagnosed with an inflammation in his right shoulder.
Strasburg was having trouble warming up his priceless right arm and the Nationals exercised caution and sat him out.
Nationals general manager (GM) Mike Rizzo said that the pitcher had “stiffness and discomfort” in his right shoulder. The good news is that the X-Rays and an MRI showed that there was no structural damage. Still you can never be too careful with a young pitcher of this calibre.
Strasburg was not available for comment as he rushed to get tests done. In terms of the difference in the game, it made no difference as Miguel Batista pitched five shutout innings on short notice en route to a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Rizzo said that the team is not sure when Strasburg will pitch next. He is currently listed as day-to-day: "We're still not sure where he's at," the GM said.
Strasburg reportedly did not have any shooting pains in his shoulder or elbow.
The young phenom has only been in the league for a short time, but he has already made an unbelievable impact. On top of shooting up ticket sales in games he starts, Strasburg is 5-2 in nine starts with a 2.32 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 15 walks in 54 1/3 innings of work.
Strasburg’s difficulty was first reported by pitching coach Steve McCatty to Rizzo, and it was shortly announced by the public relations (PR) staff that Batista would replace Strasburg on the mound.
Unfortunately for Batista, he was met with boos when he stepped on the mound. Not directed at him, as many fans in attendance were upset over the fact that the sole reason why they purchased tickets was to watch Strasburg and they were being denied that. Fans have flocked to Nationals Park to watch Strasburg's 100 mph fastballs and the breaking balls that leave many hitters dumbfounded.
Batista understood the situation though and didn’t take the booing personally. Instea he pitched a great game and had his own philosophy on the jeers: “Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa, you might get those kind of boos. But it's OK," he said. "They had to understand that as an organization we have to make sure the kid is fine."
Strasburg began the season with a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 8th and somehow lived up to the hype as he struck out 14 batters in seven innings work en route to a 5-2 Washington victory.
The Nationals have already stated that for Strasburg’s rookie season, he would be capped after 160 innings of work, regardless of when that number arrives. Certainly fans have to understand that it’s another lost season for the Nationals and they have to think about what Strasburg will mean to them for the future.
"We're going to use common sense and be cautious like we have," Rizzo said. "This is a workload that he's never seen before."
It’s certainly the best thing for Strasburg. Ticket sales may go down but fans will understand the idea of sitting Strasburg. Many star pitchers’ careers have been shortened because they pitched way too much and wore out their arm. The Nationals do not intend to make that mistake with Strasburg, especially knowing that they will not accomplish anything special this season. Strasburg is something special though and must be preserved for the long haul.
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