Max Scherzer was hoping to return from the injured list this weekend to face the Milwaukee Brewers as they visit the Washington Nationals. However, that won’t be the case, as Nationals ace won’t be activated for the series. Instead, he will pitch another simulated game Saturday.
Patrick Corbin will start for the Nationals Friday. Anibal Sanchez and Erick Fedde will take the mound Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Scherzer threw a simulated game Tuesday and proclaimed he was ready to get back in the rotation.
“I’ll be honest with you: I want him to pitch,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. “But, we have to be smart about it and make sure when we get him back. We have him for the rest of the season.”
Scherzer last pitched on Jul. 25 in a game against the Colorado Rockies, allowing three runs and four hits while striking out eight and walking two in five innings. He was placed on IL with a mild rhomboid strain.
Scherzer has been dealing with the back issue since a Jun. 30 start against the Detroit Tigers. The issue resurfaced after his next start on Jul. 6 against Kansas City. He was placed on the 10-day IL a week later. He was activated for the Jul. 25 start only to go back on the 10-day IL following the outing.
Max Scherzer was having another Cy Young-caliber season before his back issues showed up. He sports 9-5 record with a 2.41 ERA, currently the best of his career while leading currently being tied for National League lead with 189 strikeouts.
The Nationals are 10-8 since Scherzer’s latest absence. They lost four pivotal series against the Dodgers, Braves, Diamondbacks, and Mets during this stint. Yet, they still maintain a 1.5-game lead for the top NL Wild Card, and are 2.5 games ahead of the Brewers.
