Max Scherzer (finger) to throw off mound Saturday for Nationals

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (finger) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session Saturday in camp.

What It Means:

Scherzer was bothered by a stress fracture in his right finger towards the end of last season, so the Nationals are taking it easy with their ace. It remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old right-hander will be ready for Opening Day, but he told reporters last week that he's unable to commit for now. It sounds like Scherzer is improving though, and manager Dusty Baker said he threw the ball really well during a Wednesday session.

Scherzer accrued a 2.96 ERA (3.37 xFIP) over 228 1/3 innings pitched in 2016. His 31.5 percent strikeout rate was second-best among qualifying starters.