Stephen Strasburg Still Available as Pinch Hitter

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will not pitch again this season, but he could see playing time as a pinch hitter down the stretch, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

The Nationals have shut down Stephen Strasburg’s right arm for the season, but Manager Davey Johnson has not ruled out using him again this season in a different way.

"I check on him," Johnson said. "I told him yesterday, to give him something to think about, I said, ‘Keep taking batting practice. I might need your bat. If I can’t use your arm, I’ll use your bat.’ "

Johnson had ruled out Strasburg's availability as a pinch hitter earlier in the year, but has apparently given the idea a second thought. Strasburg, 24, was shut down earlier this week after reaching his innings limit and has mainly been relegated to shagging fly balls in the outfield before games.

The right-handed hitting Strasburg is batting .277/.333/.426 with a home run in fifty-three plate appearances on the season. There is no word on whether the Nationals would put Strasburg on the playoff roster to serve solely as a pinch-hitting option.

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Is pinch-hitting Strasburg worth the possible injury risk?

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