Strasburg blames All-Star Game for elbow injury

Stephen Strasburg is not so sure he wants to be an AllStar ever again.

The Washington Nationals right-hander said Sunday he is sure a change in routine for that event last season contributed to an arm injury that landed him on the disabled list, so he might just skip future Midsummer Classics.

The Nationals are hosting the 2018 edition.

“I mean, I think I felt like, at the All-Star break, it was a tough situation. Might have to rethink about if I’m going to actually pitch or not pitch in an All-Star Game — whether I’ll actually go altogether,” Strasburg said. “That was the issue I felt like was the reason why I got hurt.”

His 2017 invitation to Miami was his third career All-Star selection. He didn’t appear in the game, but he still was thrown off, Strasburg said, and he left his second start following the break after only two innings.

He went on the DL for a little more than three weeks with a nerve issue in his pitching elbow.

“I just know that little lapse, for whatever reason, it pushed me back a bit. It started making my arm hurt. My arm felt good before that, then it was, like, after that, it just didn’t feel right.”

He wound up going 15-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 2017, finishing third in voting for the NL Cy Young that went to teammate Max Scherzer.

Padres

San Diego signed righthander Jordan Lyles to a one-year contract with a club option for 2019. Lefthander Travis Wood was designated for assignment.