


It doesn’t appear that Stephen Strasburg will be starting a game for the Nationals any time soon — let alone pitching at any level — in a continued absence that has financial ramifications for the organization.
According to The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, Strasburg, 34, hasn’t been able to participate in rehab activities for more than a month due to “severe nerve damage.”
Strasburg, who’s dealt with a myriad of injuries in his career, has made just eight starts since winning the 2019 World Series MVP and signing a seven-year, $245 million deal after he helped Washington defeat the Astros in the Fall Classic.
Strasburg — on Washington’s 60-day injured list —reportedly tried to build toward a return earlier in the season, but any steps forward on the mound were followed by some sort of pain.
On three separate occasions this past winter, Strasburg had bullpen sessions ending with continued pain on the right side, according to the Washington Post.
Washington didn’t add disability insurance onto Strasburg’s contract, according to The Washington Post, due to a variety of reasons, including costly premiums and a goal to not spend any more on top of the massive contract given to the right-hander.
Strasburg’s last outing came in June 2022, when he threw 4 ⅔ innings against the Marlins — tossing 99 pitches and allowing seven runs on eight hits — and appeared to complete a return from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery that he underwent in 2021.
“It felt good, and I’m excited to learn from it and get back out there for the next one,” Strasburg said following that outing, according to the Associated Press. “Fastball command could have been better in certain spots there. I felt the changeup was working pretty well. All in all, it’s a place to start and try to build off of it.”
The Nationals are still waiting for that next start one year later.
Similar thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms emerged again after that final start against the Marlins, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman last year, and Strasburg told The Washington Post in September that he wasn’t certain about his future as a pitcher — calling it a “big question mark” and acknowledging that the “clock is ticking” on a career that has already featured other injuries such as Tommy John surgery.
He started 33 games for the Nationals during the 2019 regular season before their lengthy postseason run, winning 18 games and compiling a 3.32 ERA.
In the World Series, he won Games 2 and 6 en route to a 5-0 record and 1.96 ERA in the playoffs that culminated in the franchise’s first title.
Strasburg was a much-hyped San Diego State product and was taken No. 1 overall in the 2009 MLB Draft.
He’s won 113 games with 1,723 strikeouts over 247 Major League starts.