Davey Johnson: Stephen Strasburg Has Two Starts Left

Mark your calendars now because we finally have an official end in sight.

According to Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson, pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be shut down after two more starts, putting an end to season-long speculation regarding when the ace's year would be over.

"I think two starts, unless I let him pitch 10 [innings] in the next one out, which I'm not going to," Johnson said to reporters after the game. "I think his last start will be on the 12th."

Strasburg earned a no-decision Sunday in the Nationals' 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals despite striking out nine in six scoreless innings. Sunday's outing left Strasburg at 156.1 total innings this season; the Nationals have maintained all season long that the 24-year-old will be limited to somewhere between 160 and 180 innings of work as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Barring any unforeseen changes in the schedule, Strasburg's last home start will be Friday against the Miami Marlins. As Johnson mentioned, Strasburg's final start of the season will be Sept. 12 against the New York Mets at Citi Field. If Strasburg were to pitch his current season average of 5.2 innings per start in each of his next two outings, he will finish the year with about 168 total innings.