Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg is reportedly retiring due to a severe medical issue that has kept him off the mound for more than a year and has impacted his day-to-day life with his family away from the field.
Strasburg, age 35, was the first overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. Coming out of San Diego State, the 6-foot-5 righty was one of the most highly-touted pitching prospects of his generation. Before injuries derailed his time in Washington, Strasburg was one of the best pitchers in baseball.
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In 2019, Strasburg led MLB in innings pitched (209) and wins (18), finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting. He then went on to lead the Nationals to a World Series title, posting a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.98 ERA and .221 batting average allowed across 36.1 innings pitched in the playoffs and World Series.
After winning World Series MVP, Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245 million contract to remain with the Nationals. Washington had aspirations of competing for another World Series ring, but Strasburg pitched just 31.1 innings from 2020-’23 due to nerve issues in his pitching hand and elbow.
Unfortunately, the issues with nerve damage and numbness in his arm never went away. Strasburg eventually underwent surgery to repair the thoracic outlet syndrome in 2021, but it didn’t improve his issues. Two years later, Strasburg is retiring and it reportedly has a lot to do with his right arm.
According to The Washington Post, Strasburg is still experiencing issues with severe nerve damage in his elbow. The problems have resulted in him struggling with tasks like lifting up his children or opening a door with his right hand.
- Stephen Strasburg career earnings: $196.5 million
The 35-year-old made repeated attempts at a comeback, but each time the recurring issues with his throwing elbow never went away. After another setback this spring, the Nationals shut Strasburg down with the expectation he would miss the entire 2023 season. Months later, he still was never close to throwing.
The attempts to make a comeback have taken a toll on Strasburg’s body. He reportedly couldn’t stand for a long period of time without his hand going completely numb and his way of managing it was lying down on his side. It led to real concern from those close to him that Strasburg’s post-baseball life would be impacted by the injury he suffered playing the game he loved.
- Stephen Strasburg career stats: 3.24 ERA, 1,723 strikeouts, 1.09 WHIP in 1,470 innings pitched
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While Strasburg is retiring, Washington is still required to fulfill its contractual obligations to him. He is owed $35 million annually from 2024-‘2026, but he still won’t be off the Nationals’ payroll in 2027.
Washington also agreed to deferred money in the contract, with Strasburg receiving $26.6 million annually from 2027-’29. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Nationals never insured the contract so the organization will be responsible for covering all of it.