By Justin Worsley
The Washington Nationals feared for the worst when their ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg had a MRI on his throwing elbow, and the worst has occurred.
Strasburg, 22, has torn his ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm. The injury will sideline him for the rest of the season and Strasburg is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery.
The injury, however, will effect more than just the pitching rotation for the Nationals. The team has the third-lowest attendance for home games in the National League, however, the stadium is always a sellout crowd when Strasburg, the face of the franchise, pitches.
This is Strasburg's second stint on the disabled list this season. Last month, Washington put Strasburg on the disabled list when he strained his elbow prior to a start. Before going on the disabled list for the first time, Strasburg was 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA. In three games since his return, Strasburg was 0-1 with a 5.37 ERA.
Strasburg is flying to California to seek a second opinion before he elects to undergo surgery. The surgery has a high success rate, with 85 to 92-percent of those who undergo the procedure making a full recovery. The surgery takes about a full year for a pitcher to recover from.
Strasburg led the team in strikeouts with 92.
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