Stephen Strasburg Left Off of Washington’s NLDS Roster as Nationals Stick to Shutdown Plan

The Nationals haven't changed their minds about not allowing Stephen Strasburg to pitch in the postseason.

All hope for seeing Washington's ace take the mound against the Cardinals in the National League Division Series was lost Sunday when the Nationals announced their 25-man roster — and Strasburg was nowhere to be found — according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.

Strasburg had Tommy John surgery in 2010 — causing him to miss a majority of the 2011 season — and the Nats placed an innings limit on him this year so his arm would fully recover and not be a problem later in his career. That decision has been scrutinized for several months now, but it will be under fire even more should the Nationals make it to the World Series.

For now, however, it's just the NLDS that Strasburg won't be pitching in. Should Washington advance further through the 2012 playoffs, maybe general manager Mike Rizzo and the Nats will reconsider. It doesn't seem like they think the risk will be worth the reward, though.