East Notes: Scherzer, Voit, Gurriel Jr.

The Nationals shouldered another late-inning loss at Citi Field last night as Sean Doolittle folded in the ninth for four runs and the loss. Max Scherzer’s return is more vital now than ever for the Nats, but there’s still not a clear timetable for his activation from the injured list. He threw off flat ground yesterday and may follow it up with a bullpen session today, but the Nationals are content being cautious with their ace, per MASN’s Byron Kerr (via Twitter). Joe Ross has stepped up in Scherzer’s absence with back-to-back scoreless outings on the road. Lowering a 9.85 ERA to 6.75 over the course of two starts must feel pretty good for Ross, but Scherzer’s health remains Washington’s focus. When he does return, Washington will decide between Ross and Erick Fedde for the fifth starter spot. Let’s head to the American League for a couple of health updates…

• Yankees first baseman Luke Voit is doing his best to return to the team, but there won’t be a clear timeline until he resumes baseball activities, per George A. King III of the New York Post.  He is running now, but hernia surgery remains a possibility for the 28-year-old Missouri native. Voit built upon his surprising 2018 breakout with more of the same this season. In roughly one season’s worth of playing time between this year and last, Voit appeared in 141 games for 577 plate appearances with a .291/.393/.545 line, 34 home runs and 90 RBIs. With a batting champion taking over for Voit at first (DJ LeMahieu) and another unearthed offensive marvel covering for him at third (Gio Urshela), the Yankees aren’t exactly suffering in Voit’s absence. With a 9 1/2 game lead in the division, they are willing to wait out Voit’s injury in the hopes that he can avoid season-ending surgery.
• The Blue Jays are placing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the 10-day injured list, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. He has been diagnosed with a quadriceps strain. Gurriel is one of the many MLB legacies making waves in Toronto this season with an overall batting line of .279/.331/.548 with 19 home runs. Gurriel Jr. struggled early in the season to the point of being sent back to Triple-A, but since returning from a six-week exile in Buffalo, Yuli’s little brother has looked like an All-Star, hitting .295/.344/.591 with all 19 of his home runs coming since his return. The Blue Jays are rapidly putting together a lineup worth talking about, and Gurriel Jr. is no small part of their future.