Nationals' Max Scherzer Placed on IL After Back Injury Diagnosed as Strain

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer has landed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 10) with a mid-back strain, according to Byron Kerr of MASN Sports.

Scherzer told reporters on July 7 that he started feeling back discomfort after a June 30 outing against the Detroit Tigers. The issue return for a July 6 appearance against the Kansas City Royals, although the right-hander still struck out 25 batters over 15.0 innings while allowing just one run over those two starts.

The injury forced Scherzer to miss the All-Star Game, but he was scheduled to start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. That won't happen, however, as he finishes out his injured-list stint.

"This is not something to be overly concerned about," Scherzer said Friday. "I know the feeling of what it’s going to take to get back on the mound and get completely through the ball. Like I said, we’re only a matter of days. This isn’t a long-term injury."

The three-time Cy Young Award winner has experienced bad injury luck lately. Scherzer took a ball to the face during batting practice June 18 and underwent tests that determined he suffered a broken nose:

Scherzer still made his start the next day, striking out 10 in seven innings pitched for a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. His excellent performance through injury came at the same time rumors swirled that the Nationals might trade him:

However, the Nats have gone 29-11 in its last 40 games to surge into the National League's first wild-card spot. With Washington looking like it will be in contention deep into the summer, the team needs Scherzer back as soon as possible to anchor the staff.

The 34-year-old has gone 9-5 in 19 starts with a 2.30 ERA while leading the National League in strikeouts at 181.