Ryan Zimmerman joined The Sports Junkies on Thursday to talk all things Nationals, but the big topic was, as you might expect, the rib injury that has 2019 World Series champion teammate Stephen Strasburg on the shelf.
And first things first, he agrees with the notion that Strasburg was the lynchpin to the 2019 title.
“You’re correct – we wouldn’t have a World Series without him, full stop,” Zimmerman said. “I know he’s been hurt a lot, but a lot of people have been hurt a lot, and when he has pitched, he has lived up to the hype and more of when he was brought into the league.”
Apparently, that’s not a bet Zim would’ve taken if you asked him that when Strasburg got called up?
“One hundred percent (because the hype was too great,” he said. “Half the battle is pitching, and I’m not discounting that, but he’s been crazy good for us when he pitched.”
And yes, Zimmerman understands that Strasburg’s contract is going to be called into question, but Strasburg’s desire shouldn’t be.
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“You can talk about the new contract, and that’s obviously a topic for debate – but I hope people know how much he wants to play,” Zimmerman said. “I hope people don’t think he’s just collecting his money, or it’s a little thing he should pitch through. I know Stephen and he is not that guy; no one wants to pitch more than him, and I’ve seen him pitch through a lot of things no one knew about.”
So, does Zimmerman think Strasburg will be able to take the mound again?
“I do have faith he’ll pitch again, just because he works his tail off, harder than anyone I've ever seen,” he said, “and also his pride. He understands the contract he signed, and no one wants to play more when they have a big contract than the player. He’s probably the farthest from ‘that guy’ you’d ever meet; he doesn’t convey that to the media that well, so I guess I’ll do that for him, because somebody should stick up for him.”
Check out Zimmerman's full appearance on The Sports Junkies below!