Back from DL, Strasburg leaves game in 3rd inning

Strasburg returned to the mound Wednesday after being placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 22.

Speaking at almost 1 a.m., about 15 minutes after his team wrapped up a 5-4 11-inning, rain-delayed victory over the Braves, and about four hours after Strasburg departed in the top of the third with that elbow injury, Baker expressed both clear concern about his pitcher’s health while also holding out hope this isn’t a worst-case scenario.

Lessard also said that new injury, diagnosed as a strained flexor mass, isn’t related to the elbow soreness that sent Strasburg to the DL last month. He is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts against Atlanta this season. He allowed 19 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in three outings before going on the DL.

“He didn’t stick around because he’s just both frustrated and upset”, Baker said. “They don’t give up many at-bats”.

“He had good command”, Baker said.

It was still tied in the ninth, when the Braves rallied with two out and went ahead on an RBI single to left by Jace Peterson, 4-3.

After a conference on the mound with head athletic trainer Paul Lessard and pitching coach Mike Maddux, Baker made his way to the mound, as well, at which point Strasburg started walking in the opposite direction, the lower half of his face buried inside his glove during the entire trek.

Swanson homered for the second straight game, this time sending one over the fence following Tuesday night’s inside-the-park home run. After Bryce Harper was intentionally walked to load the bases, Wilson Ramos singled off Brandon Cunniff to win it.

The rookie said he was getting a lot of playful kidding for his first career homer “being an inside-the-park, so I figured this one would be a bit easier on my psyche”.

The start of the game was delayed 57 minutes, though it ultimately only rained lightly during the early portion of the game.

Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 18 games with an 11th-inning single, and Freddie Freeman upped his string to 14 games. Coming into the three-game series on a 7-game winning streak, the Braves will need a win on Wednesday to avoid another sweep to Washington. He owns a 3.59 ERA in 145 1/3 innings this season. He was hit hard in his last start against the Braves, giving up six runs in 5.1 innings as Foltynewicz got the win.