Nationals Pull Stephen Strasburg After 16 Pitches With Apparent Hand Injury

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg was pulled just 16 pitches into his start against the Orioles on Friday after visibly shaking his hand and wincing after several pitches.

The reigning World Series MVP missed the start of the season with a nerve issue in his throwing hand. He returned to the mound Sunday, also against Baltimore, and cruised through four innings before things fell apart in the fifth. On Wednesday, Nationals manager Davey Martinez expressed concern with how he was still feeling a tingling sensation in his hand.

"I was a little bit concerned," Martinez said during a Zoom press conference. "We will see how he feels. Yesterday he threw a little bit. He still felt it, so we will see where he is at. It's raining right now, so we will see if he can go out there and throw again today. But we will definitely have to keep an eye on it. It's a weird thing. He doesn't feel it all the time. I know he's in the training room working with the staff and trying to get it to go away."

Strasburg faced only three batters Friday before getting the hook. He recorded two outs around a solo home run off the bat of outfielder Anthony Santander and was replaced by right-hander Erick Fedde.

The news comes on the heels of the Nationals losing second baseman Starlin Castro to a broken wrist and announcing that lefty reliever Sam Freeman was transferred to the 60-Day Injured List.

Strasburg is in the first season of a seven-year, $245 million extension he signed with the Nationals last offseason.

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