Touch 'Em All: Nationals' Strasburg can't sway his bosses
Stephen Strasburg finally had his sit-down Monday with the Washington National bosses and the result was the same as before: The righthander will make his last start Sept. 12 against the Mets at Citi Field.
Stephen Strasburg finally had his sit-down Monday with the Washington National bosses and the result was the same as before: The righthander will make his last start Sept. 12 against the Mets at Citi Field.
Strasburg, who had Tommy John surgery two years ago, wasn't keen on Sunday's announcement that he was going be shut down. Right away he demanded, in his words: a "sit-down."
The sit-down came Monday. The 24-year-old met with club manager Davey Johnson, general manager Mike Rizzo, and pitching coach Steve McCatty and when the dust cleared the bosses' decision remained. Never mind that the club is having its first successful season ever and are gearing up for a postseason run. Afterward, Johnson put the proper spin on the matter:
"I'm not sure any of us understand," he said. "But it's the right thing to do."
Then for good measure, he added:
"It's no secret that Stras is an intense competitor, that he wants to be here, wants to be contributing, wants to be helping and I'm sure it's probably eating him up more than anybody involved in this whole thing because he wants to be here and helping his teammates. . . . I know how he feels."
We doubt it.
Strasburg, who is 15-6 with a 2.94 ERA and leads the league with 195 strikeouts, was not talking.
Bobby's back
Bobby Abreu has bounced a bit since leaving the Phillies, with his last move coming Aug. 1, when the Dodgers optioned him to the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
Over the weekend, the 38-year-old, who in five games with Albuquerque hit .353, got a fresh start: The Dodgers, who are aiming for the playoffs, called him back.
"It gives us another guy off the bench that's been around and is going to be comfortable up there and know what he's doing," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.