Nationals to Sit Strasburg for Final Few Starts; May Not Pitch in Postseason

The Washington Nationals are planning to skip ace right-hander Stephen Strasburg's last two or three starts of the season to limit his workload and may not pitch him in the postseason, a source has told Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

Hoping to limit Stephen Strasburg's innings during his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2010, the Nationals are expected to cut the ace right-hander's regular season short by two or three starts.

The same source went so far as to say that Strasburg will not pitch in the postseason once he is shut down.

Rumored to be on an innings limit from the beginning of the season, the 24-year-old Strasburg currently stands at one hundred thirty-three and a third innings pitched on the season. Ladson writes that Strasburg could exceed one hundred sixty innings but will not throw more than one hundred eighty, leaving the young righty with roughly seven starts remaining if he averages six innings a start.

If the Nationals do reach the postseason and Strasburg does not pitch, the team will likely go with a four-man rotation of Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler. Strasburg, who owns a 2.90 ERA and a league-best 11.2 K/9, is scheduled to start Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants.

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Should the Nationals sit Strasburg for the postseason?

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