Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is facing doubts about his future in baseball due to severe nerve damage, according to The Washington Post. The 34-year-old pitcher has been sidelined for over a month, unable to engage in any rehabilitation activities. Strasburg underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and has not played in a game since June of the previous year.
Strasburg has a history of nerve issues and reported experiencing nerve pain in his neck and shoulder after a throwing session earlier this year. He missed spring training and was placed on the injured list. Despite being eligible to return, the Nationals have no plans to bring him back.
The pitcher attempted to maintain his physical condition by focusing on lower-body workouts, but the pain, tingling, and numbness caused him to stop. Since being named World Series MVP in 2019, Strasburg has only pitched a total of 31⅓ innings over three seasons.
The team’s strategy now is to give Strasburg time to rest and observe whether his nerve condition improves. The Nationals are obligated to fulfill the remaining three years of his contract, which would have been costly to insure given his age and injury history.
Strasburg, a long-time member of the Nationals and a three-time All-Star, has been absent from team activities, including games and travel. Manager Dave Martinez no longer includes him in injury reports. Throughout his career, Strasburg has amassed an impressive record of 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA and holds the record for the most strikeouts in Nationals franchise history with 1,723.
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