The Nationals have placed starter Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain, MASN’s Dan Kolko reports. The move is retroactive to June 16, the day after the right-hander’s most recent start. Strasburg apparently suffered the injury while lifting weights.
Strasburg was scratched from last Monday’s start against the Dodgers. The Nationals were hopeful he would be able to made his next scheduled start, which would have been Sunday afternoon against the Brewers.
This a tough pill to swallow for the Nationals, who have lost seven games in a row. Strasburg is 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA and a 118/24 K/BB ratio in 93 innings this season.
As Kolko notes, the Nationals could send Joe Ross out to the mound on Monday night, then pick a spot starter for Tuesday, potentially Yusmeiro Petit. Petit filled in for Strasburg last Monday, giving up three runs in five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings.
