As the Major League Baseball regular season is nearing the halfway point in 2020, two starting pitchers are now out for their respective clubs the rest of the way. According to Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report on Saturday, Stephen Strasburg, the reigning World Series MVP, is out for the season with a wrist injury which will require surgery. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays have lost Yonny Chirinos to an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery according to Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.
Strasburg is one of the most powerful starting pitchers in Major League Baseball. A year ago he won 18 games, which led the National League. He also had 251 strikeouts in 209 innings. However Strasburg’s 2020 season was delayed because of a nerve problem in his pitching hand. When he returned to the field on August 9 against the Baltimore Orioles, he was simply not himself. In his 2020 season debut, Strasburg gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 6-2 Washington loss. Then on August 14, Strasburg only pitched two thirds of an inning, before leaving the game.
Chirinos, meanwhile, was off to a solid start for the Rays in their starting rotation. In three starts, Chirinos only gave up three earned runs in 11 1/3 innings for an earned run average of 2.38. However, Chirinos was giving up quite a few number of hits (14), which led to a rather high WHIP of 1.59.
At 19 wins and 10 losses, the Rays lead the American League East, and have the second best record in the junior circuit. The Nationals meanwhile will be in tough just to make the postseason. They are currently at 11 wins and 14 losses.
