Stephen Strasburg’s future is now in even more doubt than ever, as a report by Jesse Dougherty in the Washington Post Saturday cited “three people familiar with the situation” in saying Strasburg has been shut down from all physical activities for more than a month due to “severe nerve damage.”
Now 34, Strasburg opted out of his contract and signed a seven-year deal with the Nationals after winning the 2019 World Series, but those four years since have been marred with injuries. He has thrown just 31 1/3 MLB innings since 2020, dealing with issues labeled as carpal tunnel neuritis, a neck strain, and then Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
The righty hasn’t pitched in a calendar year since trying to return from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome last June and making just one poor outing, and went back on the I.L. with what was termed a stress reaction in his ribs.
He missed the remainder of 2022, then sat out spring training while rehabbing a nerve issue related to that stress reaction, all stemming from the TOS injury.
According to Dougherty’s story, Strasburg is eligible to return any time but “there’s no sign of that happening in the near future, if at all,” and his current plan is to rest and see if he can manage the nerve issues enough to return, but “the outlook is not promising.”
There are still three-plus years and more than $125 million left on that seven-year, $245 million deal, and according to people familiar with the situation, per Dougherty, the Nats do not have disability insurance on it.
Strasburg was one of the better hurlers in the game from 2013-19, pitching to a 3.21 ERA and 10.9 K/9 in those six seasons, but spent time on the injured list with an upper body injury of some sort in five of those seven seasons – all but 2014 and 2019, the year he won World Series MVP and opted out to sign the new mega-deal.
Right now, though, there is very real danger that his career may be over, and unless he retires and foregoes the remainder of his deal, will leave the Nationals on the hook for $35 million in salary/luxury tax hit through 2026, and he will have earned almost $8 million per inning pitched over the deal.
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Stay tuned to 106.7 The Fan and The Team 980 over the weekend as this situation unfolds, and tune into the Sports Junkies starting at 6 A.M. on both stations Monday morning for the latest.
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