By Mark Gallagher
Nationals ace Max Scherzer will rest his ailing back and miss tomorrow night’s All-Star Game.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star, Scherzer struck out 11 over seven shutout innings on Saturday against Kansas City.
Hours later, Major League Baseball announced he would be replaced on the National League roster by Sonny Gray.
Scherzer experienced back tightness after beating Detroit on June 30. He worked through it against the Royals, but his back stiffened after the appearance.
Scherzer, manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo emerged from a postgame discussion with this conclusion: It would be in the best interest of Scherzer and the Nationals that he excused himself from pitching Tuesday night in Cleveland.
“Our season matters so much more than the All-Star Game,” Scherzer said yesterday. “I know my body pretty well. I just know I’m not going to be at my best if I try and pitch on two days’ rest and I’d really be jeopardizing our season if I were to try and do something like that.”
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