Max Scherzer has backed off his comments from this week that the National League needs to adopt the designated hitter.
The Nationals pitcher will miss his scheduled start Tuesday night after injuring his thumb in an at-bat Thursday. Scherzer voiced his frustration Sunday, saying pitchers shouldn't be hitting. "Who would people rather see, a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper?" he told CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
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He moved away from that statement and others like it Tuesday, claiming Heyman misconstrued his intent. He issued a clarification on his Twitter page.
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) April 28, 2015Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals in the offseason, a fact Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner was quick to point out in his rebuttal to Scherzer's initial comments.
“He knew the rules,” Bumgarner said. “Whatever much he signed for — what did he get, again? — he didn’t have a problem signing his name (to it). He didn’t have a problem with hitting then. I’m sure he had his pick of anywhere he wanted to go.
“That’s the way the game has to be played. I appreciate both sides of the argument and I get it. But (ending pitcher plate appearances) isn’t the way to go about (addressing) it.”
Scherzer's injury isn't severe, and he likely will start Friday. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, on the other hand, suffered a major injury as a batter Saturday. Wainwright tore his left Achilles' tendon while leaving the batter's box and has been ruled out for the season. Even he didn't share Scherzer's opinion.
"I don't think I can remember another pitcher injuring his Achilles at bat." --Adam Wainwright
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 28, 2015Cont'd "It could've happened doing anything. It could've happened carrying my daughter up the steps. Baseball has to stay doing what it is."
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 28, 2015The debate about whether pitchers should bat has raged for quite some time, and a resolution isn't likely any time soon.
"If you look at it long term," Scherzer told Heyman, "I think, eventually, there will be a DH in the National League."
Time will tell.