Stephen Strasburg: 10 Reasons His Latest Injury Could Poison His Career
No. 10: Media Comparisons
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Remember Mark Prior? The fireball throwing phenom for the Chicago Cubs. Well Strasburg's name has been mentioned in hushed whispers with Prior's especially after two arm injuries already.
Strasburg is big time news no matter what and this latest injury does nothing to dispell those comparisons.
No. 9: Looked At As Unreliable
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This is twice in almost half a season that Strasburg had headed to the disabled list. Teams and teammates want reliability out of the ace of the pitching staff. Strasburg has been anything but.
He's young and has plenty of baseball in front of him, but if he gets a reputation as unreliable, things could go south.
No. 8: Routine Changed
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Pitchers are creatures of habit and everyone, while in a set program for the most part, has little nuances that are particular to only them.
If the Nationals decide that on off days and before games Strasburg's routine has to change, it could affect his performance on the field.
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No. 7: Stricter Pitch Counts
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That sight could be much more common in Strasburg's future starts.
The Nationals could pull back on the reins and decide to keep him on a strict number of pitches, affecting how deep he can go into games if he struggles a little bit.
No. 6: Limited on the Mound
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Part of what makes Strasburg so effective is the combination of his blazing fastball and his devastating offspeed pitches.
Those offspeed pitches and the stress they put on his arm could be the cause of these injuries and if he has to utilize them less in the future, it could change how effective he is on the mound.
No. 5: Change in Mechanics
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Maybe the Nationals decide that it's Strasburg's arm motion that is causing his problems. If they change his motion it could change how good his stuff is.
There could be less behind his fastball, those offspeed pitches may not dance like they used to. If that happens, Strasburg won't be as intimidating to opposing batters as he's been at times this season.
No. 4: Mentally Shaken
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A pitcher's worst enemy is himself. Once doubt or frustration starts to creep in, there's no way a pitcher can have success.
If Strasburg isn't able to trust his arm anymore and worries that the next pitch could be the one that results in injury, he's going to get lit up, which will only compound the problem.
No. 3: Tries To Pitch Through Pain
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Some older pitchers have said that they've pitched through pain and discomfort in their playing days but this is a different era and doing that can result in disastrous consequences.
Pitching through pain and aches could severely damage Strasburg's arm. I'm sure he doesn't want to be looked at as the next Mark Prior and in trying to prove that, he could end right back on the disabled list.
No. 2: Surgery Possible
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The one thing a team never wants to hear is that one of their players is headed to see Dr. James Andrews.
What that means is that surgery is imminent and it won't be good. Maybe this flexor tendon in his elbow needs to be patched up. If it does, maybe it takes a little bit off of his stuff.
There are no guarantees after surgery, no matter how routine.
No. 1: Start of Injury Issues
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Maybe these two DL stints for Strasburg are just the beginning and he just cannot handle a major league workload.
That could be possible. He throws his breaking pitches with such velocity that maybe his arm can't handle that type of stress. It could change his whole career arc. Maybe he turns into a middle of the rotation guy, maybe he become a long reliever.
Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but with young flamethrowers like Strasburg, that's one of the risks.
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