Back in mid-February, as Max Scherzer was just beginning to throw baseballs again, albeit with a “modified grip”, Nationals’ skipper Dusty Baker acknowledged the real possibility that Scherzer might not be ready for Opening Day.
The 2016 NL Cy Young winner injured his ring finger last August, but pitched through the pain down the stretch, and discovered this winter that what was thought to be a sprain was a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger.
“Right now it’s just getting back out there and just throwing a baseball and getting my arm in shape,” Scherzer said then.