Stephen Strasburg is calling it a career.
The longtime Washington Nationals starter has decided to retire, The Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that because Strasburg is retiring for medical reasons, the remainder of his contract will be paid.
Strasburg was one of the most highly-touted starting pitching prospects in baseball history. The peaks were high for the three-time All-Star, who had a stellar 2019 season and ultimately was the World Series MVP.
That performance in 2019 landed him a seven-year, $245 million contract. Injuries would derail his last three seasons, and he will have ultimately made just eight starts on the new contract.
He had a nerve issue in his hand in 2020, then in 2021 underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. He came back in June of 2022, but only made one start before going back on the injured list with a stress fracture in his ribs.
Ultimately, his final MLB game was the only one he pitched in during the 2022 campaign, a 4.2 inning start in which he surrendered seven runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks in a loss to the Marlins.
The 35-year-old spent the entirety of his career in the Nats organization. He’ll finish his run with a 113-62 record and 3.24 ERA. He only appeared in nine postseason games, but he sure made them count, going 6-2 with a 1.46 ERA. Washington was 7-2 in postseason games he appeared in.
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