This is of little consolation to Nationals fans after the club lost in heartbreaking fashion during the NLDS against the Cardinals, but it turns out that Drew Storen wasn’t quite at 100 percent when the season came crashing down. In fact, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman hears that Storen was pitching through “excruciating” back pain.
Storen merely said that he “wanted to be out there” and that he “grinded,” but Jayson Werth was a bit more forthcoming.
Werth said that “no one knew,” but if Storen was getting treatment during the series, I’m going to assume that manager Davey Johnson was aware of it. And that makes it all the more curious that Storen pitched in an 8-0 loss in Game 3 despite the distinct possibility that he could be needed in the next two games. Again, doesn’t matter much now, but it’s interesting to think about now that we have some added context.
It might have been easy at some point during interview after interview he has done this winter and spring to let slip that he was having terrible back pain in Game 5, that he’d spend much of the final three days in the trainers room receiving treatment for back spasms others described as unbearable. Not him, though. Storen wouldn’t say a thing about it. Still won’t. Not really.
Storen merely said that he “wanted to be out there” and that he “grinded,” but Jayson Werth was a bit more forthcoming.
“He was having real bad back spasms. That was the third day (pitching) in a row,” teammate Jayson Werth said. “He was banged up, man. No one knew. For him to just have the balls to go out there, that says a lot about him.”
“I’m not blaming his injury,” Werth said. “He just wasn’t healthy.”
Werth said that “no one knew,” but if Storen was getting treatment during the series, I’m going to assume that manager Davey Johnson was aware of it. And that makes it all the more curious that Storen pitched in an 8-0 loss in Game 3 despite the distinct possibility that he could be needed in the next two games. Again, doesn’t matter much now, but it’s interesting to think about now that we have some added context.
