Don’t expect to see Stephen Strasburg on the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers next week. Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters Tuesday it’s unlikely the All-Star right-hander pitch in the NLDS as he recovers from a right flexor mass strain.
Strasburg suffered the injury on Sept. 7 and hasn’t pitched since. The 28-year-old is 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 starts.
The Nationals will rely heavily on Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark as their top three starters against the Dodgers, with the possibility of Scherzer pitching on short rest for Game 4, though manager Dusty Baker would prefer not to go that route with the 32-year-old.
“I’d like not to do that on short rest because then what’s going to happen next round and the next round? He’s going to be on super short and then you’re risking injury. The other guys got to do their job,” Baker said, according to CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Chase Hughes. “You can’t go to short rest on Max, to me, unless it’s just a dire emergency until late in the playoffs.”
In addition to not having Strasburg, Washington will also be missing All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos, who suffered a torn ACL in Monday night’s game and is out for the season.
Getting past the Dodgers won’t be easy for the Nationals.
