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2016 NLDS: Nationals Manager Dusty Baker Rules Out Stephen Strasburg For Matchup Against Dodgers

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals have until Friday morning to officially set their rosters for the National League Division Series, though reading tea leaves can paint somewhat of a clear picture.

That’s particularly true for the Dodgers in terms of their outfielders, as manager Dave Roberts recently said Andre Ethier, Howie Kendrick, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Josh Reddick and Andrew Toles will be part of the NLDS roster.

The Nationals meanwhile are dealing with injuries to multiple key players. All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos saw his season come to an end last week due to a torn ACL, Daniel Murphy hasn’t started since Sept. 17 due to a buttocks injury, and Jayson Werth is suffering from back tightness.

What’s more, Stephen Strasburg last pitched Sept. 7, when he was removed in the third inning and later diagnosed with a strained flexor mass in his right elbow.

Strasburg’s availability for the NLDS was in question, and on Monday, Nationals manager Dusty Baker officially ruled him out, via ESPN:

“Well, you won’t see [Strasburg] in the first series, and I don’t even know if you’ll see him, you know, maybe in the second series,” Baker said on McNabb & Custer on ESPN Radio. “You might see him in the World Series.”

Strasburg began throwing late last week, but at the time Baker said he still was not expecting to see 28-year-old in the NLDS. Nor did Baker want to ask Strasburg about his status so as to avoid placing pressure on the right-hander.

Strasburg went 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA, 2.92 FIP and 1.10 WHIP this season. He began the year 13-0 before suffering a loss at home to the Dodgers on July 21.

Without Strasburg, Washington is expected to use some combination of Tanner Roark and Gio Gonzalez to follow Max Scherzer in the series.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com