The Nationals’ Strasburg injures hand, out for season
Stephen Strasburg’s season is over.
The Washington Nationals transferred the star righthander to the 60-day disabled list Saturday. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Strasburg will undergo carpal tunnel surgery next week.
Strasburg, last year’s World Series MVP, was first placed on the injured list Aug. 15 with carpal tunnel neuritis of the right hand.
“Hopefully surgery goes well,” Martinez said. “The biggest thing is that surgery relieves anything he has and he’s able to rehab and come back strong next spring training. Long-term goal, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
The 32-year-old pitcher signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with Washington during the offseason. He was 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two starts in 2020. Strasburg was scratched from his first two scheduled starts, and left his Aug. 14 start after only twothirds of an inning.
“He took a shot; obviously it didn’t work,” Martinez said. “He probably could have taken another shot but we just needed to get it fixed. We don’t want to prolong anything.”
The move allowed Washington to add right-hander Wil Crowe to the 40-man roster. Crowe, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, will make his major league debut by starting the second game of the Nationals’ doubleheader on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Crowe will serve as Washington’s 29th man.
CUBS’ BRYANT ON IL >>
The Chicago Cubs placed third baseman Kris Bryant on the 10day injured list Saturday night with a sprained finger on his left hand.
Bryant also got an injection for his ailing left wrist on Tuesday. The injuries occurred when he made a diving attempt on César Hernández’s flare to left field in the fifth inning of a 7-2 victory at Cleveland on Aug. 12.
The 2016 NL MVP hasn’t played since Monday’s doubleheader split against St. Louis. The IL move is retroactive to Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Bryant is batting just .177 with 20 strikeouts in 14 games.
About three hours before Saturday night’s game with the White Sox, Cubs manager David Ross said the hope was the team could avoid putting Bryant on the IL.
The team did not announce a corresponding roster move.
YANKEES’ TORRES OUT 2-3 WEEKS >>
New York Yankees star shortstop Gleyber Torres is expected to miss two to three weeks while recovering from strains in his hamstring and quad and pitcher James Paxton won’t throw for 14 days because of a strained left forearm.
New York manager Aaron Boone provided the updates Saturday. The team worked out at Yankee Stadium after this weekend’s Subway Series at Citi Field was postponed when two members of the Mets tested positive for the coronavirus.
Torres, Paxton and reliever Luis Avilan were put on the injured list Friday. Big-hitting Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu already were on the IL, along with relievers Zack Britton and Tommy Kahnle and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka.
TWINS’ ODORIZZI, LITTELL GO ONIL>>
The ailing Minnesota Twins added two more names to their injured list Saturday when Jake Odorizzi was sidelined with bruised ribs and fellow right-hander Zack Littell was shut down because of right elbow inflammation.
Both players were hurt during a 7-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
The Twins also moved right-hander Homer Bailey to the 45-day injured list after a setback in his recovery from biceps tendinitis. The moves allowed the Twins to purchase the contract of lefthander Danny Coulombe and recall right-hander Sean Poppen to the active roster. Both had been on the four-man taxi squad for the road trip.
“Most teams are dealing with rosters that don’t necessarily look like they looked on opening day,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, whose team has been especially hard hit. “Some of these teams — and we want to be in this group — just continually go out there and play and find ways to win. Our guys make no excuses.”
There would be plenty of excuses to make, though.
Talented outfielder Byron Buxton is dealing with left shoulder inflammation and catcher Mitch Garver an intercostal strain that landed both on the injured list this week. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has a strained right calf, has not played since July 31. Right-hander Cody Stashak has been out nearly two weeks with lower back inflammation.
None of those players are expected back any time soon.
PHILLIES GET THREE PITCHERS IN TRADES >>
Newly acquired relievers Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree and David Hale were active for Philadelphia’s game against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
The Phillies added the three right-handers, acquired in trades on Friday, to their 28man roster as part of a flurry of moves.
The Phillies acquired Workman and Hembree from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold. Hale was obtained from the New York Yankees in a deal for minor league right-hander Addison Russ.
Right-hander Hector Neris has two saves in five chances this season for Philadelphia. The Phillies’ bullpen entered Friday night’s game with a 7.59 ERA, by far the worst in the majors.
The Phillies also reinstated outfielder Adam Haseley from the 10-day injured list. He had been out since Aug. 12 with a left wrist sprain.
Outfielder Jay Bruce was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Friday, with a left quad strain that limited his ability to run.
Right-hander Connor Brogdon and left-hander Cole Irvin were sent to the team’s alternate training site. Righthander Deolis Guerra was designated for assignment.
NATIONALS EMPLOYEE FIRED AFTER THROWING COFFEE AT WOMAN >>
The Washington Nationals have fired a team employee who was seen on video throwing two cups of hot coffee into the face of a woman working at a convenience store in the Dominican Republic, the team said Saturday.
In a video posted to Twitter on Friday, the employee, identified by ESPN as Jazhiel Morel, is seen filling two cups with coffee and having an animated conversation with the store employee. He then threw the coffee into the woman’s face and ran out of the store.
“The Washington Nationals learned of this horrific incident earlier today and immediately terminated the employee,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement. “We do not tolerate this type of behavior in our organization.”
Morel’s LinkedIn page lists him as the administrator of the Nationals’ academy in the Dominican Republic.