Nationals ace right-hander Max Scherzer was eligible to come off the injured list Tuesday — but it didn’t happen.
And now his streak of making at least 30 starts every season is in jeopardy.
Scherzer (9-5, 2.41) has been dealing with back and shoulder issues for the past month. He did not pitch in the All-Star Game and has made just two starts for the Nationals since late June.
The 35-year-old right-hander has made at least 30 starts ever year since he joined the Arizona rotation in 2009. He made 33 starts last year for the Nationals and a career-high 34 in 2016.
He has made 20 starts this year for Washington. Starting Thursday there are 53 days left in regular-season play and if Scherzer started every fifth day he could make at least 10 starts the rest of the way. But that is starting to look unlikely.
Scherzer threw off the flat ground Monday in San Francisco but needs to throw a bullpen session off the mound before manager Dave Martinez will let him make a start.
“Wasn’t great but felt okay,” Martinez told reporters Monday.
The Nationals, who play at San Francisco Wednesday afternoon, were 60-53 after a 5-3 win Tuesday over the Giants. Washington is off Thursday, begins a three-game series Friday in New York against the Mets and returns home to face the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
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