Partner Pulse

By MARK ZUCKERMAN
Nats Insider

It went undetected to most every one of the 40,043 who paid to enter Nationals Park tonight assuming they'd see Stephen Strasburg take on the Braves. Not until Miguel Batista took the mound at 7:06 p.m. and was announced as the Nationals' starting pitcher did everyone realize what was going on.

Many in the crowd booed.

"Imagine, if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa, you might get those kind of boos," Batista said in perhaps the one-liner of the year. "But it's OK. They had to understand that as an organization we have to make sure the kid is fine."

That was the prevailing sentiment at the end of the night. Whether Strasburg is seriously injured or not -- and initial signs point to it being nothing more than some shoulder inflammation -- the Nationals intend to take the cautious route with their $15.1 million investment.

Which means there's a very real possibility he's thrown his last pitch of the season.

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