Nationals: The "Shaqburg" Incident

The management/owners of the Washington Nationals scratched their rookie phenom starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg just minutes before the start of a Tuesday evening game. It was GM Mike Rizzo that is claiming the decision (short story). Fans in Washington DC have been scooping up tickets anytime that Strasburg is listed to pitch. And it was no different yesterday as a near sold-out crowd packed in to see the ace add to his 75 strikeouts. So far he has pitched 54 1/3 innings at the major league level (stats). He has pitched another 55 1/3 in the minor leagues (stats) this season. Combined that is already about 110 of the 160 innings the Nats team managers have said he will be limited to this year (160 cap). That's the smart move. Take it easy with a rookie just coming out of college. Was he really hurt though? MRI and x-ray come up empty and the Nats call it "shoulder inflammation" here. That's their story. But was this last minute scratch just a bait-and-switch on fans to sell out the stadium. Is this just a planned Shaq-esque mini-break in the season for Strasburg to stretch his 160 innings for all its worth? What will the fans think of management/owners because of this, both short-term and long-term? Listing a pitcher as a starter and selling out a stadium and then pulling him at the last minute when perhaps it was a plan all along?