And Just Like That Stephen Strasburg’s Season is Over

Washington Nationals news

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Stephen Strasburg early this morning that he will not pitch again this season.

Strasburg’s season comes to an end after pitching 159 1/3 innings and with 24 games remaining. Washington leads the National League East by 6 1/2 games.

“To be honest with you, I think he just is thinking too much about the decision when we’re going to shut him down,” Johnson said Friday night. “And he kind of wore it. He didn’t like it. But that’s the way it is.”

Washington had announced earlier this year that they would monitor Strasburg’s innings and workload and would shut him down at some point before the end of the season. In his last outing Strasburg allowed five runs in three innings to the Miami Marlins.

Strasburg underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in September of 2010 and this is his first full season since the procedure. Washington has made it clear that they would protect the arm of their young right-hander.

Strasburg will finish with 197 strikeouts. Left-hander John Lannan,  who spent all year in Class AAA, will take Strasburg’s spot in the rotation.