Nationals delay Max Scherzer’s return to build up endurance

Max Scherzer sounds healthy, but the Washington Nationals will still hold him back a little bit longer as he recovers from a back issue.

Manager Dave Martinez announced Friday that Scherzer will not start this weekend and will instead throw another simulated game, with the team wanting to build up his endurance.

Scherzer will pitch another simulated game tomorrow. He’s healthy but they want him to build up his endurance more. It’s basically the equivalent of another spring training start.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) August 16, 2019

Martinez: “I’ll be honest with you: I want him to pitch. But we have to be smart about it and make sure when we get him back, we have him for the rest of the season.”

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) August 16, 2019

Scherzer has pitched once since July 6, so he’s definitely out of practice against big leaguers. This will be hugely frustrating to the pitcher, but Martinez is right that the Nationals simply need him to stay healthy once he’s back on the mound.