Quick, panic in the streets! On South Capitol Street, anyway!

Stephen Strasburg went on the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. In Washington, that’s like the battleship from a hostile galaxy centering itself over Nationals Park.

There is “no timetable for his return but hopefully soon,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said. After a recent bullpen session, Strasburg said he felt “beat up” and his shoulder “tight.” An MRI exam showed mild inflammation. But every hurricane starts as a teensy-weensy tropical depression.

“[The MRI] doesn’t look bad. But then I’m not a doctor,” said Martinez, who does stand-up sitting down. “He’s such an important part of our team. ... The biggest thing is him missing [almost all of] last year. ... We want to get him right. This is all about taking care of Stephen.”

So don’t worry, the Nats say. Yes, he got pounded in his last start and threw only 90 mph. But it’s a long season. After Strasburg pitched only five innings in 2020, the Nats planned extra rest for him this season, anyway, “though not this soon,” Martinez said without irony. Please. The Hindenburg’s problem was just static electricity. Then a spark. Then “Oh, the humanity.”

Last year, Strasburg’s season was cut short by carpal tunnel syndrome. That early exit by the 2019 World Series MVP doomed the 60-game campaign practically at its inception. What next? This month, the Nats already celebrated Opening Day without nine of their 26 players because of positive coronavirus tests and related protocols.

On Sunday, the Nats’ starter in a 5-2 loss to Arizona was Paolo Espino, who allowed only two runs in 41/3 innings — six fewer runs than Strasburg in his most recent start. Espino wasn’t the problem. But he sure was a symbol. There are emergency starters who are 34 years old. And desperation hurlers who have never won an MLB game. But is Espino the first to be both? Martinez, asked about future landmarks on the road to a Strasburg return in the coming days, replied, “Right now, I’m taking care of the seconds.”

Oh, it gets better. Tuesday’s scheduled starter, Patrick Corbin, has an ERA of 21.32, which means — not just in his case but with any pitcher — that he might be covering up an injury or simply unaware of one. In his most recent start Thursday, he allowed 10 runs, four walks, two hit batters and three homers in two innings. Luckily, there was no mascot to bean.

At this point, with all due respect to every fan’s inalienable right to panic in April, let’s take a giant step backward for perspective.

Corbin says he feels normal. On Thursday, he seemed to be rushing his delivery, which ruins command, cuts velocity and reduces spin rate. But what do I know? “Corbin threw really well between starts. We were slowing him down,” said Martinez, who does know. “He pounded the strike zone. His slider was sharp.” Can we wait a couple of days or maybe a month before we write obits on $140 million deals? It takes time for out-of-sync pitchers to find their flaw. Corbin was thrown into quarantine because of his proximity to a teammate who tested positive. Maybe the guy just sat next to the wrong person on a plane back from Florida. There will be plenty of time for sackcloth if either Strasburg or Corbin turns out to be seriously injured. But fearing it might happen does not make it so.