Washington Nationals fans disgruntled as Stephen Strasburg has been shut down with severe nerve damage: "Just makes me so sad"

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg's future, is in the air. The right-hander is dealing with severe nerve damage, which has caused him to be shut down from all physical activity.

Strasburg has been shut down for over a month now. He first reported the nerve issue in early February. People close to the situation are speculating if he'll ever be able to pitch again.

Strasburg missed spring training and was placed on the 60-day IL before Opening Day. He has done everything possible to stay in shape and try to come off the IL, but the numbness in his neck and shoulder has not gone away.

The injury has taken its toll on the hard-throwing righty. He hasn't been around the club all that much this season. He doesn't travel with the team, and he's rarely seen hanging out in the dugout.

"Just makes me so sad. Dude's shoulder felt him sign on the dotted line and just said 'no I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore'" - one fan posted.

"Perhaps the worst contract in history. Not saying we shouldn't have done it, just unfortunate. Poor guy, hope he feels better" - another fan posted.

This was the last thing that Washington Nationals fans wanted to see. A former World Series MVP in 2019, Stephen Strasburg has only thrown 31.5 innings since then.

Fans are preparing for the worst. They believe Strasburg's arm has had enough, and he won't ever be able to recover and be the pitcher he once was.

Health issues have plagued Stephen Strasburg's career

Stephen Strasburg has been dealing with injuries his entire MLB career. It all started in 2010 during his rookie season when he underwent Tommy John surgery.

In 2015, he suffered an ankle injury. Later in the season, he suffered an oblique strain that caused him to miss a month.

In the following years, he missed time with a sore elbow, shoulder inflammation, and nerve issues. While some of these injuries are quite common amongst pitchers, the nerve issue scares people. That's not something a doctor can go in and fix.

It will be interesting to see what comes of Strasburg in the future. Is this something he can bounce back from, or has his body simply had enough?

Edited by Tejas Rathi