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Washington Nationals: When Will We See Max Scherzer?

By Ron Juckett

Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA;Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) is taken out of the game during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA;Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) is taken out of the game during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nursing a finger injury from last year, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer has yet to pitch this spring. When do we see him throw for real?

A week into the Grapefruit League schedule and we do not know when Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer will pitch.

The good news is, in reality, he has yet to miss a start. With the World Baseball Classic starting this week, Spring Training started a week earlier than usual this year. Most teams so far held back the meat of their rotations until March 1.

If Scherzer misses another week, he still should be okay to go against the Miami Marlins in April at home.

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The bad news is his broken knuckle still hurts. Although Scherzer is throwing a three-fingered grip on his fastball, the full four-finger causes pain. That is not a good sign for him and the team.

Yes, he pitched the last six weeks of the regular season and two starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their National League Divisional Series with a stress fracture in his ring finger. That does not mean Scherzer tries to do the same this year.

The concern since the injury was discovered is the healing. Eight weeks after diagnosis and treatment, there is discomfort. It makes you wonder how Scherzer pitched so well last year without realizing the finger was broken.

A hairline fracture—what a stress fracture is—on his knuckle of his pitching hand is not good. Somewhat common with rock climbers gripping jagged edges firmly, the nature of pitching every fifth day will continue to put pressure on that joint the rest of his career.

Since this is National League, can Scherzer comfortably grip a bat? We do not know.

At some point, the Nationals will need to see him throw his new three-fingered fastball to live hitting. It could be a simulated game or down at one of the minor-league games dotting the new complex at West Palm Beach. If Scherzer is all right after, then he faces the big boys.

The primary reason Spring Training runs as long as it does in regular years is to rebuild the endurance of starting pitchers. They need those five or six gets their arms ready to throw 100 pitches in a regular season game.

If we do not see Scherzer in the next couple weeks in any game action, it is hard to see him ready to start the season.

Any prolonged absence from Scherzer this year changes the entire game plan for the Nats. As their workhorse, he must get in over 30 starts and 200-inning for Washington to win the NL East.

With the better pitching prospects gone to Chicago and A.J. Cole struggling in his two starts, the thought of Vance Worley at the end of the rotation strikes fear in the front office, not into the rest of the NL. And Worley has pitched well.

Next: The Curious Career of Michael Taylor

Let’s hope we see Scherzer soon, for his sake and ours.

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