Stephen Strasburg unlikely to be ready in time for NLDS

If the Washington Nationals are hoping to move past the National League Division Series for the first time since the franchise relocated, they are going to have to do so without pitcher Stephen Strasburg. While Strasburg is working his way back from an elbow injury, general manager Mike Rizzo said Tuesday it would be “unlikely” the pitcher would be ready in time for the NLDS.

The injury comes as a blow, though it wasn’t unexpected. The team never gave a firm timetable for Strasburg’s return when he suffered the injury following a Sep. 7 start. While the club didn’t rule out the postseason, Strasburg was hesitant to make any definitive statements about his return.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]

Over 147 2/3 innings, Strasburg was well on his way to churning out another impressive season. The right-hander posted a solid 3.60 ERA, with an excellent 30.6 percent strikeout rate. That strikeout rate would have ranked fourth among starting pitchers had Strasburg thrown enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.

With the Chicago Cubs already set to face the wild card team, the Nationals already know they’ll take on the Los Angeles Dodgers during the NLDS. Clayton Kershaw should oppose Max Scherzer in the first game of that contest. Now that Strasburg is officially out, the Nationals will likely turn to Tanner Roark in Game 2.

While Roark isn’t a huge name, he’s turned in a surprisingly strong season. The 29-year-old has a 2.86 ERA over 204 1/3 innings. He doesn’t have the same strikeout ability as Strasburg, but has posts solid peripherals and does a better job keeping the ball on the ground.

Unfortunately for the Nationals, that’s not the only significant injury the club will have to overcome during October. The team lost starting catcher Wilson Ramos for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL, and second baseman Daniel Murphy hasn’t played in days due to a buttocks strain. On top of all that, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper has been rumored to be playing through a shoulder injury all season. Harper has denied those reports, though it would explain why he hasn’t lived up his lofty expectations this year.

In fairness, the Nationals are far from the only club limping into October. The New York Mets and Cleveland Indians have seen their starting rotations reduced to mush, the Dodgers broke a record for most players on the DL in a single season and the Toronto Blue Jays lost one of their best bullpen arms in a meaningless brawl.

Strasburg’s injury hits hard, though the Nationals might be better equipped to handle his absence than most clubs. Roark and rookie Joe Ross have been much better than expected, giving the Nationals one of the best rotations in baseball this year.

With that said, it’s never a good thing to lose your No. 2 starter heading into the postseason. Combine the loss of Strasburg with all the Nationals’ other injuries, and getting out of the NLDS suddenly looks a lot more challenging.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik