Nationals Strasburg announces retirement

WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg announced his retirement Sunday, ending the 2019 World Series MVP’s injury-filled career.

Since leading Washington to its only World Series title five years ago, the 35-year-old Strasburg pitched just 31 1/3 innings over eight starts.

“I realized after repeated attempts to return to pitching, injuries no longer allow me to perform at a major league level,” Strasburg said in a statement. His retirement had been listed on Major League Baseball’s transaction page Saturday.

General manager Mike Rizzo, who selected Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 amateur draft, said the right-hander was on “the Mount Rushmore of the Nationals.”

“When he was on the mound, he was as good as any pitcher in baseball — ever,” Rizzo said Sunday before the Nationals played the Phillies. “Unfortunately for him and for us, it wasn’t as we wanted it to be.”

Strasburg was 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA over 13 seasons and made three All-Star appearances. He led the National League with 18 victories in 2019 and then delivered a dominant postseason, going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA over six appearances. That included wins in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series in Houston.

He signed a $245 million, seven-year contract in December 2019 but threw only 528 pitches over 31 1/3 innings in the majors after that, going 1-4 with a 6.89 ERA. He had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve and blood disorder that led to the removal of a rib and two neck muscles.

Strasburg has not pitched since June 9, 2022, when he lasted 4 2/3 innings in his lone start of the season before going back on the injured list. He did not report for spring training in 2023 or 2024.