The folks in our nation’s capital are all too familiar with shutdowns. No, we’re not talking about the [political content redacted], but rather how the Washington Nationals handle their pitchers after their returns from Tommy John surgery.
In August 2009, the Nats announced that prized young right-hander Jordan Zimmermann would need to go under the knife after experiencing “tightness” in his elbow. He returned in 2010 to make seven starts, then proceeded to toss 161.1 innings the next year until Washington put an end to his season in late August.
Stephen Strasburg underwent the reconstructive elbow procedure Sept.