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Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg to have season-ending surgery

WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg's season is over.

The Washington Nationals transferred the star right-hander to the 60-day disabled list Saturday. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Strasburg will undergo carpal tunnel surgery on Wednesday.

Strasburg, last year's World Series MVP, was first placed on the injured list Aug. 15 with carpal tunnel neuritis of the right hand.

"Hopefully, surgery goes well," Martinez said. "The biggest thing is that surgery relieves anything he has, and he's able to rehab and come back strong next spring training. Long-term goal, that's what we're hoping for."

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo called it "a repetition injury'' and he expects Strasburg to be ready for spring training in 2021.

"You can only surmise that it's from throwing breaking pitches and changeups throughout his lifetime and career, and I think it's taken its toll on him in that regard," Rizzo said.

Strasburg, 32, signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with Washington during the offseason. He was 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two starts in 2020. Strasburg was scratched from his first two scheduled starts, and he left his Aug. 14 start after only two-thirds of an inning.

"He took a shot; obviously it didn't work," Martinez said. "He probably could have taken another shot, but we just needed to get it fixed. We don't want to prolong anything."

The move allowed Washington to add right-hander Wil Crowe to the 40-man roster. Crowe, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, will make his major league debut by starting the second game of the Nationals' doubleheader against the Miami Marlins on Saturday.

Crowe will serve as Washington's 29th man.