Rizzo: Strasburg may start season finale at Florida

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

September 20, 2011, 9:49am

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Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg may not have to wrap his season up with Friday's scheduled start against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Many believed that might be Strasburg's final start of the 2011 season. But according to MASN television announcer Bob Carpenter during Tuesday's Game 1 of the Phillies series, Strasburg could get the call in the Nationals' final game of the season Sept. 28 at Florida. Carpenter said he talked to general manager Mike Rizzo prior to Tuesday's doubleheader in Philadelphia, who confirmed Strasburg is still being considered for that final game in Miami, the Marlins' last in Sun Life Stadium before moving into a new ballpark for 2012. Rizzo also told Carpenter that for every extra start Strasburg logs this season, it will allow the Nationals to have him pitch longer into the 2012 season. This is interesting because Strasburg had said earlier this month that he would be on a 160-inning limit similar to what Jordan Zimmermann had this season, his first full campaign since returning from the same Tommy John surgery.