Nationals reliever Hunter Strickland broke his nose while lifting weights Tuesday at PNC Park.Â
Manager Dave Martinez said before Washington’s 4-1 loss that a bar struck the right side of Strickland’s face, and the reliever was seen in the clubhouse with his nose bandaged. Strickland, who was acquired at the trade deadline, was available to pitch, but Martinez chose not to use him.Â
Strickland posted on social media that he broke his nose from the incident:Â
Broke nose never killed anyone. We have a playoff push so let’s keep it going @nationals This team is special!
— Hunter Strickland (@hstrickland43) August 20, 2019
*side note: barbell=1 me=0 @ PNC Park https://t.co/ewrK5Mc9VO
Since the trade, Strickland has appeared in seven innings for the Nationals — posting a 1.29 ERA.
He isn’t the first Washington pitcher to break his nose this year. Max Scherzer ended up with a broken nose and a black eye in an accident during bunting practice before a game in June. He pitched the next day and struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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