Strasburg set for surgery on Friday
It is now official; Stephen Strasburg will undergo Tommy John surgery on Friday and will be out for at least a full season. The reconstructive elbow surgery requires at least 12-18 months of healing time and that will be a huge loss for the Washington Nationals and for baseball.
"He is dealing with it like a professional," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "He's very determined to get it done and start the process."
Strasburg injured his elbow while pitching on August 21st against Philadelphia. While his rookie season was cut short, Strasburg was impressive going 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA. This is a big setback for the 22-year-old who made such a lasting impression for the last place Nationals. Strasburg has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list by the team.
Strasburg was impressive right from his debut when he struck out 14 batters in his first career start. He was living up to the enormous hype surrounding him as he was the number one overall pick in last year’s draft. He began the season with the Nationals’ farm team but quickly worked his way up to the pros. Some are wondering if the Nationals played him for too many innings, overworking the rookie before he was ready for the workload.
Washington’s season is already essentially done. They are in last place in the NL East and are well out of a playoff spot. Some were wondering if Strasburg’s season should have just been shut down back in July when he experienced some inflammation in his right shoulder. He was on the 15-day disabled list and came back only to suffer the torn ligament in his right elbow.
Tommy John surgery is a tough surgery to recover from, but it’s the only way Strasburg can continue his career. The Nationals will miss his presence and the revenue he was bringing the team. Strasburg was the Nationals’ best draw this season as ticket sales ballooned whenever he was pitching. The team will now lose him for the entire 2011 season and a full recovery is no guarantee with a surgery like this. Strasburg could come back as strong as ever, or he may lose some power from his lightning pitches. The Nationals will keep their fingers crossed in the meantime.
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