WASHINGTON (AP) – Stephen Strasburg will start Game 1 of Washington’s NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, and Nationals manager Dusty Baker said before Thursday’s workout that the team still hadn’t decided whether Max Scherzer would pitch in Game 2.
Scherzer, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, tweaked his right hamstring during his last regular-season start. Either he or lefty Gio Gonzalez will start Game 2, and the other will get Game 3.
“A lot of it depends on our evaluation of Scherzer,” Baker said.
For the second day in a row, Scherzer threw on flat ground in the outfield but did not go through a bullpen session off a mound, which starters usually do two or three days before a game.
Baker had said Tuesday that the plan was for Scherzer to test his leg in the bullpen Wednesday; on Thursday, Baker again said Scherzer would have a bullpen session.