Nationals ace Strasburg retires / Photo: Rich Schultz - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Nationals ace Strasburg retires
Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who played a pivotal role in the franchise's dramatic 2019 World Series victory, announced his retirement from baseball on Sunday.
The 35-year-old righthander said in a statement he had decided to call time on his career after failing to regain full fitness.
Strasburg, who was the World Series Most Valuable Player in 2019, has not pitched since June 2022.
"Today, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love," Strasburg said in a statement.
"I realized after repeated attempts to return to pitching, injuries no longer allow me to perform at a Major League level. ...
"Although I will always wish there were more games to be pitched, I find comfort knowing I left it all out there for the only team I've known."
Strasburg was drafted by the Nationals with the No.1 pick in the 2009 Draft, making his major league debut the following year.
He notched 113 wins and 62 defeats from the mound with 1,723 strikeouts for a 3.23 earned run average.
He earned MVP honors in the Nats' World Series win in 2019 after winning both of his starts in an upset 4-3 series victory against the Houston Astros.
However that stellar performance was to mark the beginning of the end of Strasburg's pitching career.
He played only twice in the Covid 19-shortened 2020 season, and made only a handful of appearances in 2021 before undergoing surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome -- a condition which occurs after nerves, arteries or veins running from the lower neck to the armpit become compressed, causing pain and weakness.
He attempted a comeback in 2022, but made only one start before being put back on the injured list.
The Nationals paid tribute to Strasburg in statements on Sunday.
"From his Major League debut in 2010 through leading us to a title as the World Series MVP in 2019, the impact he's had on our ball club is undeniable," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "He will go down as one of the best players in Washington Nationals history, and it was my honor to be part of that journey."
O.Norris--AMWN