Stephen Strasburg Lands on DL

May 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher

throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The injury bug strikes again. This time, it’s in our nation’s capital. The Washington Nationals placed ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day DL with neck tightness. While he won’t be shut down, he may be out for a couple of weeks.

Strasburg was removed from his start on Friday in the bottom of the second inning. It wasn’t a lingering injury, so it came up during this start. It does not explain Strasburg’s poor performance this season. He has a 3-5 record with a 6.55 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and just 45 strikeouts in 10 starts. He hasn’t pitched longer than six innings in his last seven starts. Strasburg has lost command of the ball, which means less strikeouts and more hits. He has 36 hits and 28 strikeouts in that span.

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A recent press release from the Nationals stated that Strasburg is also dealing with a back issue. Despite the injuries, Strasburg will still be throwing bullpen sessions in preparation for his return. In the meantime, A.J Cole is likely to be his replacement.

Cole made his last start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, which falls perfectly in line with Strasburg’s schedule. In six starts this season (30.1 innings), Cole is 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 20 strikeouts. He was 7-0 in 11 starts with Syracuse last season.

Back to Strasburg, things haven’t been good and aren’t likely to be better when he comes back. The recent injuries did not affect his past outings, so what makes anyone think it will be different for the rest of the season? If I were a Strasburg owner, and thankfully I am not, I would try to move on as quickly as possible. Whether that’s trading him away for lesser value, at this point there isn’t much less, or cutting him altogether, you need to look ahead and help your team win a championship.

Some other pitchers to consider replacing Strasburg with are Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Martinez and Kyle Hendricks. All three of these pitchers have had great outings in recent weeks. It’s time to cut bait on Stephen Strasburg in 2015.