Stephen Strasburg leaves start early

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg’s early season injury issues continued Friday in a start against the Orioles. Strasburg departed in the first inning, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. The Nationals replaced him with righty Erick Fedde.

It’s unclear why Strasburg exited, but it’s worth noting that he missed the beginning of the season with a nerve issue in his pitching hand. Strasburg made his 2020 debut last Sunday and yielded five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles. The O’s Anthony Santander smacked a home run off Strasburg on Friday before he had to leave his rematch against the club.

This has no doubt been an alarming way to open the season for Strasburg, whom the Nationals re-signed to a seven-year, $245 million contract in free agency last winter. Strasburg earned that mega-deal on the heels of a brilliant season that he finished as the World Series MVP for the Nationals, who won their first championship. Like Strasburg, however, Washington has begun the season in less-than-ideal fashion, as it entered Friday with a 6-10 record.