Breaking news as MRIs on Stephen Strasburg reveal that he has a torn ligament in his elbow. Strasburg was removed from Saturday’s start in Philadelphia as he was feeling discomfort in his elbow.
On Monday, Washington placed Strasburg on the disabled list and announced that the rookie phenom would be shut down for the season.
While shutting down Strasburg looked like a precaution, it has become more serious due to the MRI results and at the moment it seems probable that he will need Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. Nationals’ general manager Mike Rizzo has said that the 22 year old would also need over 12 months of rehabilitation after the surgery.
This is the second time in as many seasons that a Nationals’ rookie pitcher is in need of Tommy John surgery as pitcher Jordan Zimmermann had the surgery performed on him last year.
Ironically, it is Zimmermann who will be called up from the minors and replacing Strasburg in the rotation having fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery.
