Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg exited Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds after suffering an apparent calf injury, per Joe Kay of the Associated Press.
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Strasburg Exits in 6th Inning of Matchup with Reds
Saturday, June 4
Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Strasburg left with calf cramping but feels fine now, per James Wagner of the Washington Post.
MASN provided comments from Strasburg after the game:
The 27-year-old hurler entered 2016 with big expectations on his shoulders after the departure of Jordan Zimmermann, and he has produced to the tune of a 9-0 record and a 2.69 ERA through his first 11 starts.
He began the season so impressively, in fact, that the Nats signed him to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension.
Strasburg has always been an elite talent, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from establishing himself as one of Major League Baseball's upper-echelon arms.
Although Strasburg led the National League in starts during the 2014 season with 34, he was limited to just 23 starts in 2015. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010 as well, so he has a fairly lengthy injury history.
The former All-Star can be dominant when he is healthy and on top of his game, and while he went just 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA last season, his 2.81 FIP, per Baseball-Reference.com, suggests that he was also somewhat unlucky.
Strasburg came into the 2016 campaign with the goal of remaining healthy and being a force deep into the season, according to James Wagner of the Washington Post:
I'm going to continue to work throughout the season. It's not like you’re working from Day 1. You're looking to peak in September, October, the second half. It's like I've done it enough times to know that you're still going to be building throughout the course of the year. As far as getting the normal workload every five days, I feel like I'm ready for that.
The injury bug has bitten Strasburg once again, however, which puts the Nationals in a difficult position if he has to miss some time.
In the event that Strasburg ends up needing a stint on the disabled list, Max Scherzer will bear even more of a burden to pick up the slack. Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark and Joe Ross will also become even more integral as they move up in the rotation.
It is nearly impossible to replace a powerful, swing-and-miss starter like Strasburg, and the fact Washington lost some of its pitching depth during the offseason doesn't help matters.
The Nationals have a talented, playoff-worthy team, but that could be in jeopardy if Strasburg's injury turns out to be significant.
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