Max Scherzer admits he still has concerns over back injury

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer returned to the mound for the first time since July 25 on Thursday night, but he knows he still has to monitor his back injury.

After getting through four innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday, Scherzer played catch without incident on Friday. He admitted, however, that the rhomboid strain in his back cannot be assumed to be completely behind him.

Max Scherzer just played catch without issue today, but he says he’s “not out of the woods yet” with this injury. He’ll have to keep monitoring going forward

— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) August 23, 2019

Scherzer is 35 years old and is well aware he has to watch himself physically. The Nationals are in the heat of a playoff race, sitting 1.5 games in front for the first Wild Card spot in the National League. They need Scherzer and his 2.41 ERA to keep them there, and another injury would seriously hurt their chances, even though they did well in his absence. Expect the Nationals to be cautious with Scherzer down the stretch to ensure that he stays healthy, as they already have been doing.