Stephen Strasburg Set to Make Final Start for Nationals on September 12

Stephen Strasburg's 180-inning limit is rapidly approaching, and the Nationals have finally set a hard deadline on their flame-throwing ace.

According to 106.7 The Fan host Holden Kushner, Strasburg will make two more starts:

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Davey just said Strasburg's last start will be on the 12th. He has 2 starts left. #nats

— HoldenKushner (@Holdenradio) September 2, 2012"

Update: Sunday, September 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

MLB.com reporter Bill Ladson followed up the Nationals' news Sunday evening with a quote from Strasburg, stating, "No, I'm just focused on the next start. That's all I can really focus on right now. But we're going to have to have a sit-down and talk here soon."

This is understandable. Strasburg wants to be on the mound, and he's healthy as far as anyone can tell. With his team in the heart of a playoff race, his attitude toward being shelved makes sense.

It will be interesting to see how this goes. The Nationals want to be careful with Strasburg's arm, but do they want to upset their Cy Young candidate in the process?

We will have to wait and see.

-----End of Update------

This confirms what Nationals fans have been waiting for all season long. We knew the moment would probably come, but now it has a specific time frame attached to it.

Nationals beat writer Dan Kolko followed the news up with a specific reaction from Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo:

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Rizzo on Strasburg decision: "I don't think he's going to fight me on it. I know he'll be unhappy about it. He's an ultimate competitor."

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) September 2, 2012"

It would be more of a concern if Strasburg didn't fight the Washington brass on this. The Nationals are in the heart of the National League pennant race, and he's the centerpiece of their resurgence.

Strasburg is currently 15-6 with a 2.94 ERA. He has 195 strikeouts in 156.1 innings, and he's been consistently dominant throughout the season.

Strasburg's arm has shown no signs of wear and tear this season. The Nationals are approaching their prized pitcher with caution, but their surprise playoff run this season makes this decision more interesting than expected.

They currently lead the Atlanta Braves by seven games in the NL East, and that's not insurmountable with 29 games remaining. If baseball has taught us anything in the past few seasons, it's that no lead is safe until the final game is over.

Without Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman will have to carry the Nationals starting rotation. Edwin Jackson will have to continue his solid line this season, and Ross Detwiler will have to eat innings at the back end of the rotation.

It's certainly not impossible for Washington to make a deep playoff run without its Cy Young candidate, but the hill is about to get a lot steeper.