Detwiler In, Wang Pulled Out

The latest tweet from Mark Zuckerman lets us know that Wang & Detwiler have been flip-flopped for the 2nd time this season.  Wang & Detwiler.  Detwiler & Wang.  wait... WANG IS DETWILER, DETWILER IS WANG ... cries in the shower...

Wang has been flacid all year.  The opposing batters were stroking Wang for base hits all game long.  Wang just couldn't come through in the clutch.  Davey J says he knows how good Wang can be...but he knew he had to yank Wang from the rotation after sticking Wang In and pulling Wang out just a few weeks ago.

In 5 appearances, Wang has a 6.10 ERA.  Detwiler who was pulled earlier for having a rising ERA seems to have settled down a bit (although it might have to do with pitching in the bullpen).  His ERA is down to around 3.34.  Meanwhile Lannan is in the minors pitching good games then awful games.

Does management need to make a move?  Do we have someone on the farm that will be ready in September?  We will find out soon enough.

Stras-Tracker Update

• Strasburg is averaging 5.92 innings per start.  He is on pace to pitch ~15 more games this season.

• After not making it past 5 innings in 3 straight games, Strasburg has gone 7 and 6 innings in his last two starts, racking up 22 strikeouts. 

• Uncharted Territory:
• In 2010 Strasburg pitched in 12 games.  He threw 1070 pitches, averaging 89 per start.
• This season he has completed 12 games with 1130 pitches, averaging 94 per start.
• For comparison, Justin Verlander is averaging 112 per start this season. Gio is averaging 98. 

Ryan Mattheus Injured

According to CSN Washington, Ryan Mattheus left warmups before the Phillies game on Monday night due to re-aggravating a nagging foot injury.  It is not expected to be serious.  (Read more from CSN).

Another day, another injury.  The Nats bullpen is already missing their closer, Drew Storen, and their backup closer/late inning reliever Brad Lidge is out as well.  This one may not be as bad, and Mattheus could be back as soon as tomorrow.

The Nationals Black Cloud

There is a black cloud sitting over the Washington Nationals season, one that will only loom larger and larger as September gets closer...

The roster as currently constructed is performing better than expected and the growing number of players on the DL is getting to be laughable. 

Keeping this pace all season will be difficult, especially with the Braves powering towards the top of the National League.   The call up and seemingly “unlimited remarkableness” of Bryce Harper has somewhat masked the awesome season that Steven Strasburg is having.   And yet that awesome season is the giant dark cloud.

160 innings;  a number that Rizzo and friends have written in stone.  A number that they claim will not be exceeded.  It’s not even the end of May and Strasburg is approaching 50 innings pitched.  Those in games that may not count as much as the games he will miss in the end of the season.

The fact is that this team is guaranteed to lose their best player come September, before the pennant race even gets going.  It puts a bit of a damper on the whole party atmosphere the Nats have going right now.  It even has the potential to get worse as Strasburg may be counted on to go deeper into games as their importance increases.

Yes, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman are a terrific one two punch, but it’s that power trio that makes this engine go.  To remove one of the biggest cogs in crunch time will most likely allow division rivals like the Braves and Phillies to have a clearer shot at the pennant.

While the Nationals won’t be counted out completely, they may be forced into game 163.  And who will they pitch in the one game playoff if Strasburg is shelved, and if Gio & Zimmermann were used to get the team into that playoff?

Yes, the Nats are good enough to get in without Strasburg, but they are not likely to pull off a 2010 San Francisco Giants without him.  It looks like it is going to be a fun summer in Washington, but what will it look like as fall approaches?  Finishing without your ace is going to raise the degree of difficulty tenfold, and while it doesn't automatically kill the Nats, it may be just the thing that decides their fate.

Written by FC Kendrick, Nexus Columnist