If you’re a Washington Nationals fan, or a baseball fan in general, it doesn’t get much worse than this.
Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg will “probably” miss at least one year and perhaps the entire 2011 baseball season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, General Manager Mike Rizzo said. After one of the most electrifying beginnings to a baseball career in memory and after validating the massive hype that trumpeted his arrival, Strasburg ends his season with an uncertain future. The Washington Nationals will hold their breath, optimistic Strasburg will conform with the odds and return to full health by 2012.
Strasburg will receive a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum, the surgeon who performed Tommy John surgery on Jordan Zimmermann. But the Nationals are operating under the assumption Strasburg will need Tommy John surgery to repair a “significant” tear in his UCL, Rizzo said.
That truly sucks. On the bright side – grasping at straws here, but what the heck – by the time Strasburg is ready to return in 2012, #1 overall pick Bryce Harper should be just about ready for the major leagues. So, wait ’til next NEXT year!
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