Nationals’ phenom leaves start after suffering injury

By Bud L. Ellis

Whether or not Stephen Strasburg’s rookie season is over after 12 starts remains to be seen.

What can be said with certainty is the scene of the Washington Nationals’ rookie phenom shaking his pitching arm after a fifth-inning delivery, then walking off the field, was far from comforting.

The official diagnosis is a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm, suffered after a solid 4 1/3 inning performance Saturday against Philadelphia. Strasburg had allowed one run on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts when the injury was suffered.

The Nationals denied a published report earlier Sunday stating Strasburg was done for the year, but further examination will occur in the coming days. It’s a foregone conclusion he will miss his next start.

Strasburg, the hard-throwing right-hander who was the top pick in last year’s draft, is 5-3 with a a 2.91 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 17 walks in 68 innings. He experienced shoulder stiffness while warming up for a start against Atlanta in July, and spent three weeks on disabled list.

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Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 6:58 pm by bud

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