Strasburg nearing innings limit

[ucahogfan]

With how the Nationals are doing this season, I say no.  At 6-4 220, he has a very good frame to throw a lot of innings.  The Nationals are going to cost themselves a chance at a deep postseason run which is more important to the future of their franchise IMO if they shut Strasburg down.  Heck, with a 7 game lead in the East and about 12 games ahead of not being in the playoffs, the Nats could limit his innings in September by throwing him every couple of weeks instead of his usual 5 days.

[clutch]

With how the Nationals are doing this season, I say no.  At 6-4 220, he has a very good frame to throw a lot of innings.  The Nationals are going to cost themselves a chance at a deep postseason run which is more important to the future of their franchise IMO if they shut Strasburg down.  Heck, with a 7 game lead in the East and about 12 games ahead of not being in the playoffs, the Nats could limit his innings in September by throwing him every couple of weeks instead of his usual 5 days.

I think skipping weeks would be riskier than just pitching him as usual. I'd pitch him. This is as good of a chance as any that they will have at a deep postseason run. I can understand wanting to protect your investment, but a WS run would do a ton for that program. 

[OnTheHillHogFan]

I think they should shut him down but they could have spaced out some of his starts earlier in the year which would have let him pitch through september instead of him being done at the end of august.

[bsking]

Innings pitched has never shown any correlation to causing or worsening tommy john symptoms.  Dozens of pitchers have pitched 200 innings the very next year after surgery.  It's been 30 years since the franchise has made a playoff appearance, they owe it to the fans.

With Strasburg the Nats are the NL favorite.  Without him they're probably the worst team in the playoffs.

[ErieHog]

Consider giving him regular work, but limit his innings at the same time;  when rosters expand, it's not a big deal to go into a start planning to use him only 4 or 5 innings-- then have a bullpen setup using young arms you want to take a look at to work the middle innings, before getting to the back of your normal bullpen.

[clutch]

Consider giving him regular work, but limit his innings at the same time;  when rosters expand, it's not a big deal to go into a start planning to use him only 4 or 5 innings-- then have a bullpen setup using young arms you want to take a look at to work the middle innings, before getting to the back of your normal bullpen.

This is the approach I would be considering too. Especially since they have a 7 game lead on the division right now. If they are able to maintain that lead pretty steadily on the days he isn't pitching it should be alright.

[zimo]

They have to find some way to pitch him. If they really are going to shut him down I don't understand why they wouldn't just give him March and April off.

[ucahogfan]

Strasburg has officially been shut down after a poor outing against the Marlins last night.  Davey Johnson said that the impending shutdown really wore on him so the reason for the shutdown was mental and not physical.  The Nats just cost themselves a chance at a deep postseason run.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8351235/washington-nationals-shutting-stephen-strasburg-immediately-davey-johnson-says

[Hogtropolis™]

Strasburg has officially been shut down after a poor outing against the Marlins last night.  Davey Johnson said that the impending shutdown really wore on him so the reason for the shutdown was mental and not physical.  The Nats just cost themselves a chance at a deep postseason run.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8351235/washington-nationals-shutting-stephen-strasburg-immediately-davey-johnson-says

I just really don't get this.

[ucahogfan]

I just really don't get this.

I think the Nats want to protect their investment.  They did the same thing last year with Jordan Zimmerman and he has had an excellent season this year.  I just don't get why they would be careful in the middle of their best season in a LONG time and shut down one of the best young aces in the game.  Strasburg has good size to shoulder a lot of innings so I would have kept him going.

[ucahogfan]

A good example of how the Nationals could have handled Strasburg is how the Braves handled Kris Medlen.  The Braves kept Medlen in the bullpen until July 31 when they brought him into the rotation.  Medlen had surgery last year and was on a limit much like Strasburg but will not reach that threshold no matter how deep the Braves go in the postseason.  Medlen is pitching as well as if not better than anyone in the game right now from the starting standpoint and will help the Braves as he is a legit top-of-the-rotation starter.  Now the situations are different as the Braves have a lot more depth on the mound that the Nats and Strasburg was already the ace coming into the year unlike Medlen.

[clutch]

There is definitely quite a few different ways they could have handled it. I think they chose the wrong route for sure.