Strasburg leaves start vs. Orioles after 16 pitches due to nerve issue
Washington Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg left his start against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning Friday because of an apparent injury.
Strasburg threw just 16 pitches and recorded two outs before departing. He didn't strike out a batter and allowed a solo home run to Anthony Santander. Strasburg was shaking his right hand as he left the mound, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
The 32-year-old has battled a nerve issue in his throwing hand this year, which kept him out of action until last week. He allowed five earned runs against Baltimore in his season debut last Sunday and admitted afterward that he was still feeling the effects of the ailment, according to MASN's Dan Kolko.
After the Nats' 15-3 win, manager Dave Martinez said that it was Strasburg's nerve irritation that forced his removal. The team plans to examine him further to determine what is behind the tingling he's experiencing in his right thumb and wrist, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.
"I don't want this to become a bigger issue and something else goes wrong," Martinez said.
He added: "I'm not going to run him out there like that."
Strasburg, the reigning World Series MVP, now owns a 10.80 ERA through two starts in 2020. He re-signed with the Nationals on a seven-year, $245-million contract this offseason.
Erick Fedde relieved Strasburg and tossed 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to help the Nats beat Baltimore.
Washington has been hit hard by injuries of late. The team also lost starting second baseman Starlin Castro to a broken wrist on Friday.