As he made the long, lonely walk from the pitching mound to the dugout, Stephen Strasburg lowered his head and stared only at the ground. His ninth start of the season had come to a disappointing and early end Saturday afternoon, and frustration was pulsing through his mind. This is not how he envisioned the beginning of his season. It’s not what anyone envisioned.
The doubts surrounding Strasburg have grown into significant questions in recent weeks, and those questions will linger until his performance improves. On Saturday, he allowed five earned runs and didn’t pitch out of the fourth inning in an 8-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.