Nationals place Stephen Strasburg on disabled list with elbow injury

Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the disabled list with elbow soreness, an unsettling development for the Washington Nationals.

Strasburg, signed to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension earlier this year, was slated to pitch Monday night at Baltimore against the Orioles. Instead, the club recalled minor league right-hander A.J. Cole, who will start in his place. Strasburg started the season 13-0, but has lost four of his last six decisions, his earned-run average rising from 2.51 to 3.59 in that span. Strasburg is coming off his worst start of the season, giving up nine earned runs and recording just five outs against the Colorado Rockies.

He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow during his rookie season of 2010. A second Tommy John surgery involves significantly more unknowns for the pitcher, but reports indicate Strasburg's elbow is structurally sound.

The Nationals have the luxury to be hyper-vigilant. They enter this week with an 8 1/2-game lead over the Miami Marlins in the NL East, and an 11 1/2-game cushion over the defending division champion New York Mets.

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