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After this afternoon’s start, Stephen Strasburg will have to wait until next Saturday to get on the mound again, when the Washington Nationals and New York Mets meet up in Game 2 of 162. Before moving on to his 2019 debut, however, there’s one more start this afternoon in a Grapefruit League matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Strasburg, who faced the Mets in his last outing before today, was asked afterwards if there was any concern about going up against a divisional rival so close to when he’ll face the NL East opponent in his first start of the regular season. There was not.
“I mean, I’m the longest-tenured pitcher in the NL East,” Strasburg told reporters, as quoted by MLB.com’s Jamal Collier. “What’s another start against the Mets?”
He didn’t, however, show the Mets everything he’s been working on this Spring.
“You want to work on stuff, but at the same time, [you’re] well aware we open up with them,” Strasburg explained.
“So, you know, [you] don’t want to be featuring everything you might be featuring later on.”
So far this Spring, the 30-year-old righty has a 2.87 ERA (5 ER in 15 2⁄3 IP), with seven walks, 19 Ks, and a .220 BAA over his four Grapefruit League starts.
Strasburg makes his fifth start at 1:05 PM EDT in West Palm Beach’s FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in a game that’s available on MASN and MLB.tv.