It is virtually difficult to get rid of the stigma of being a “eating and running” player. 메이저사이트 But really, his career as a player is on the verge of coming to an end.
Will ace Steven Strasburg (35), who led the Washington Nationals to their first World Series championship in 2019, not be able to get back on the mound after all?
Head coach Dave Martinez of Washington reported the news of Strasburg’s absence at a briefing on the first day of spring training held in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA on the 16th (Korean time).
Strasburg was a top-class prospect that Washington brought in while hearing criticism of ‘tanking’. Drafted Strasburg with the 1st overall pick in the 1st round of the 2009 draft. The following year, another superstar talent, Bryce Harper (now Philadelphia), was picked first overall. In the end, both of them have grown into top players in the league and pillars of the team.
Harper left after signing a 13-year, $330 million (approximately 426.2 billion won) free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2019 season. However, Strasburg remained after signing a $175 million (about 226 billion won) contract in 2017 and led the World Series championship in 2019.
This year, he went 5-0 with an ERA of 1.98 in 6 postseason games (5 starts). He was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the World Series (2 runs in 6 innings) and Game 6 (2 runs in 8⅓ innings). MVP was a given. And although he became a free agent again by opting out, he signed a 7-year, $245 million (approximately 314.6 billion won) contract and stayed in Washington.
However, after that, a nightmare for both Strasburg and Washington began. From 2020, the first year of his contract, he was out for the season after two games due to carpal tunnel syndrome. In 2021, he only threw 5 games due to shoulder and neck pain. The pain in his shoulder and neck was a symptom of thoracic impingement syndrome, and he underwent surgery to remove ribs and neck muscles and entered a long rehabilitation.
His rehabilitation was like a black hole. He made a comeback against the Miami Marlins on June 10 of last year, but was beaten with 8 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts and 7 runs in 4⅔ innings, and then disappeared.
He started rehabilitation again and even pitched again ahead of spring camp. He was looking to join spring training. but ultimately failed Reporter Jesse Rogers of the ‘Washington Post’ wrote on his SNS, ‘Strasburg has been in trouble after pitching in the bullpen. He went back to Washington, DC, and there’s no word on when to return to West Palm Beach. Complications have been taking over since his thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in the summer of 2021,’ he said. Martinez mentioned nerve problems’. Thoracic outlet syndrome itself is a constant problem because it is an injury that is closely related to the throwing part, such as the shoulder nerve and arm.
For the three years following his contract, he only had an earned run average of 6.89 in 8 games and 31⅓ innings. Will the ace, who was Washington’s present and future, collapse like this? The stigma of ‘eating and running’ cannot be avoided. The future player career itself is a problem. And for Washington, Strasburg’s remaining annual salary of $140 million (approximately 180.8 billion won) is expected to remain a headache.