The Nationals received some mixed injury news Sunday.
Washington ace Max Scherzer is nearing his return to the rotation, manager Dave Martinez told reporters. But, the team also announced it had placed Sean Doolittle on the 10-day injured list with right knee tendinitis.
Scherzer, 35, has been out since July 25 with an upper-back strain. He threw a simulated game this weekend and is “probable” to start Thursday against the Pirates.
Max Scherzer is probable to come off the injured list to start Thursday against the Pirates, per Dave Martinez.
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) August 18, 2019
“I feel good,” Scherzer said, via NBC Sports Washington. “Kind of do my normal little tests, move my arm and go through the throwing motion, so I feel good. I’m basically sore today the way I should be sore, given that and all the treatment we did yesterday and throwing a sim game. Like everything feels right where it should be. There’s no extra soreness other than what I anticipated. To me, that’s right-on par.”
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, has a 9-5 record with a 2.41 ERA in 20 starts so far this season.
“The toughest part about this whole thing is I feel like the carrot’s right in front of my face,” Scherzer said. “That it’s such day to day that any day it could turn and you always wake up every single day thinking today’s the day that you’re going to wake up and not feel anything and you’re going to go out there and you’re going to throw it and you’re going to feel no pain whatsoever. And you go off running because it’s not a serious injury. That’s been the most frustrating part.”
Meanwhile, Doolittle, 32, has struggled recently and holds a 4.33 ERA and 28 saves in 54 appearances. He allowed four runs and blew a save in his latest appearance Saturday against the Brewers.
“(Saturday) I just didn’t have anything,” Doolittle said after the game. “So, yeah, we’re going to have to figure something out. I’m going to have to figure something out because this team, they deserve better right now.”
The Nationals topped Milwaukee, 16-8, on Sunday and finished play leading the National League wild-card race with a 67-56 record.