Report – Citizen Stephen Strasbourg suffered “severe nerve damage”

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg suffers from “severe nerve damage,” leading to doubts he will ever play again, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Strasburg, 34, has been locked down for more than a month and has not been able to participate in any rehabilitation, according to the report. He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and has not played since June.

He has a history of neurological problems.

After an offseason throwing session at Nationals Park in Washington in February, he reported nerve pain in his neck and shoulder. He missed spring training and was placed on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day, and although he is eligible to be discharged, it is not in the Nationals’ plans.

He kept trying to stay in shape by working out his lower body, but that was stopped by the pain, tingling, and numbness.

Strasburg has pitched just 31 innings in three seasons since winning the World Series MVP award in 2019 when Washington beat the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic.

In the 2019 regular season, Strasburg threw 209 innings pitched and finished with an 18-6 record, then signed a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Nationals. Last season, he pitched 1 appearance and pitched 4 innings loss against the Miami Marlins on June 9, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

According to the newspaper, the plan is for Strasbourg to rest and see if the nervous conditions improve.

The team has nothing to lose by playing the waiting game because, according to the report, the Nationals remain on the hook for the remaining three seasons on his contract. His age and history of injury could have made the cost of insuring his contract prohibitive, the newspaper said, provided the Nationals had found a company willing to offer disability insurance.

Strasbourg was largely kept away from the citizens. He didn’t attend the Opening Day game, doesn’t travel with the team, and didn’t spend much time in the locker room before home games, according to the Post, which added that manager Dave Martinez no longer includes the pitcher in injury reports.

A three-time All-Star, Strasbourg spent his entire 13-year football career with the national team. He was the first overall pick in the 2009 draft out of San Diego State.

He is 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA over 247 career starts. His 1,723 strikeouts rank first in Nationals franchise history.