WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg seems both physically and mentally broken. This is not, by any means, to suggest that he is beyond repair, simply that he has not been the ace that led the National League in strikeouts en route to a top 10 finish in the Cy Young race last season. But clearly something is wrong.
Through 10 starts, he is just 3-5 with a 6.55 ERA. The right-hander has never posted a WHIP higher than 1.16, but this year it’s 1.72, which ranks 111th of 112 Major League starting pitchers. He has made it past six innings just once, and failed to finish four frames in four of his last five starts. After lasting just three outs on Friday, he exited in the second inning with neck stiffness, landing on the 15-day disabled list.
With that in mind, here is a pyromaniac’s pair of handfuls of suggestions of some ideas to help the Nationals’ erstwhile ace reclaim his stake to that title.