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Nats say Scherzer has pitching finger injury, to miss WBC

FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2016 file photo, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series at Nationals Park in Washington. NL Cy Young Award winner Scherzer has an injured finger on his pitching hand and will miss the World Baseball Classic. The Washington Nationals announced Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, on Twitter that their star right-hander has a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File) FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2016 file photo, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series at Nationals Park in Washington. NL Cy Young Award winner Scherzer has an injured finger on his pitching hand and will miss the World Baseball Classic. The Washington Nationals announced Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, on Twitter that their star right-hander has a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File)

By Associated Press January 9, 2017 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer injured a finger on his pitching hand and will miss the World Baseball Classic.

The Washington Nationals announced Monday on Twitter that their star right-hander has a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger.

The team said the ongoing rehabilitation will keep Scherzer off the U.S. team at the WBC, which is in March, but he is still “expected to be a full participant” at spring training, which starts next month.

Scherzer went 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA and 284 strikeouts last season, including a record-tying 20 in one game, for the NL East champion Nationals, becoming the sixth pitcher in major league history to win AL and NL Cy Youngs.