The Nationals would like to win today's series finale against the Diamondbacks, no question. If they do, they'd have taken three of four over the weekend and five of seven over the last week, a nice bounceback since that ragged 1-5 start to the season. But truth be told, there's a bigger story going on right now that supersedes anything: Stephen Strasburg is injured.
Despite his and the team's insistence nothing was physically wrong Tuesday night when he was shelled in St. Louis, the Nationals today placed Strasburg on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. We will be hearing from Davey Martinez shortly, but there's no way to paint this as insignificant news. As I said five nights ago, the only times in his career Strasburg had looked that bad on the mound, he was either hurt or tipping his pitches. Turns out he was indeed hurt.
And there's more injury news: Wander Suero has been placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. That's less of a surprise to anyone who watched the reliever depart in the ninth inning Saturday after clutching his side. Ryne Harper has been called up from Fredericksburg to take his spot in the bullpen.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 62 degrees, wind 7 mph out to right field
NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Ryan Zimmerman
3B Starlin Castro
2B Josh Harrison
LF Kyle Schwarber
C Yan Gomes
CF Victor Robles
RHP Paolo Espino
DIAMONDBACKS
1B Pavin Smith
RF Kole Calhoun
3B Asdrúbal Cabrera
LF David Peralta
C Carson Kelly
2B Eduardo Escobar
SS Nick Ahmed
CF Nick Heath
LHP Madison Bumgarner