Nationals' Max Scherzer claims he'll be ready for start of season

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (finger) pledged Monday that he will be ready for the start of the 2017 season.

What It Means:

"I'm gonna do it," the ace right-hander told reporters Monday morning. Scherzer is confident that he won't miss a turn in the Nationals' season-opening starting rotation, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee his status for Opening Day. He's recovering from a stress fracture in his right ring finger and is currently scheduled to pitch in a minor league game this Friday.

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.