Stephen Strasburg’s career in jeopardy due to severe injury issue

Oct 21, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) speaks to the media prior to working out one day before the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg’s career appears to be in serious jeopardy as his long-standing injury issues have flared up again.

Strasburg has been completely shut down from throwing and is dealing with “severe nerve damage,” according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. Strasburg is hopeful that rest and pain management will allow him to pitch again, but the right-hander’s prognosis does not appear promising.

Strasburg has been on the IL since the start of the season, and his attempts to come back have been consistently derailed by pain, tingling, and numbness on his right side. The 34-year-old has been unable to do any rehab work for over a month.

The issues come despite the multiple surgeries Strasburg has undergone in the last three years. He underwent a procedure for carpal tunnel in 2020, then underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2021, which involved the removal of a rib and two muscles from his neck. He sounded somewhat pessimistic about his playing future when he spoke about it last September.

Once one of the league’s most exciting pitchers, this would mark a sad end for Strasburg if he can never return. He was the key cog for the Nationals’ 2019 World Series run, winning both of his starts against the Houston Astros, which earned him series MVP honors. He parlayed that into a seven-year, $245 million contract, a deal that still has three years to go beyond this one.