Right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals will retire, according to The Athletic and the Washington Post on Thursday. The formal announcement will be made on September 9.

Having been drafted by the Nationals with the first overall pick in 2009, Strasburg made his Major League Baseball debut in 2010 at 21 years old. He had the biggest highlight of his career in 2019 when he helped the team win the World Series title and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

Strasburg was in his best form during the regular season in 2019, as he started 33 games, pitched 209 innings and achieved 18 wins. He finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting that season.

After that season, Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Nationals in December 2019. Nonetheless, he has pitched only eight more games since then. He underwent a season-ending surgery to correct carpal tunnel neuritis in 2020. In the following 2021 season, he only pitched 21 2/3 innings before undergoing a surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

The last time Strasburg pitched was in June 2022. Though he hasn't played much in the past few years, he has enjoyed helping young teammates on the pitching mound.

"I heard something about it, but I know nothing's official yet," Nationals' pitcher Patrick Corbin said. "But just to speak of Stephen himself, that was a big reason why I came to this organization – to play with him and Max [Scherzer]. It's been tough I'm sure for him and his family. The guys in this clubhouse miss him, and we wish nothing but the best for him and what's to come. But he's a big reason why I'm here and a big reason why we have a championship ring."