Stephen Strasburg upset with TV cameras for violating rules

Stephen Strasburg and Dave Martinez are upset with their home TV cameras for violating rules with the kind of shot they showed on the air during the pitcher’s start on Tuesday.

Strasburg was roughed up and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and five walks in four-plus innings in a 14-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Just before the fourth inning, the Cardinals’ TV broadcast shared a shot of Strasburg grabbing at an area between his neck and right shoulder.

Just before the 4th inning, the Cardinals broadcast picked up on Stephen Strasburg feeling around his shoulder/neck area. pic.twitter.com/kjeQxkqdDK

— Blake Finney (@FinneyBlake) April 14, 2021

Strasburg was not in the dugout and was in an area that is supposed to be off limits for TV cameras.

Strasburg said after the game that the camera being on him in the tunnel is a “joke.”

Stephen Strasburg says that the camera being on him in the tunnel is a "joke."

"There has to be some sort of safe space in the stadium."

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) April 14, 2021

Martinez, who is the Nationals’ manager, was annoyed about the cameras airing that shot.

When asked a follow-up on what perturbed him most about that shot of Stephen Strasburg in the tunnel, Dave Martinez says there are rules about what cameras can capture and it's "black and white" that that shouldn't have happened.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) April 14, 2021

The Nats’ TV broadcast also used the shot. The Cardinals’ telecast also got its shot from the Nats, as only the home team is allowed to have camera crews for now due to COVID-19-related protocols.

Strasburg pitched well in his first start of the season, as he shutout Atlanta over six innings. But his outing in Washington’s 14-3 loss to the Cardinals was a disaster. You can understand why both he and Martinez would be ticked off with the TV cameras for violating privacy rules … especially during such a bad start.

Recall that Strasburg dealt with nerve pain last year and underwent surgery.