9:27 pm: Scherzer offered a positive update postgame, telling reporters (including Jessica Camerato of MLB.com) he suffered a mild groin injury. Scherzer said an MRI revealed inflammation but no muscle strain and termed himself day-to-day.
6:37 pm: Nationals star Max Scherzer left this evening’s start against the Giants in the first inning after a visit from the trainer. He appeared to be dealing with a lower body issue, according to Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).
Needless to say, Washington can ill-afford a lengthy absence from Scherzer. At 25-33, the Nationals hopes of sticking around the postseason picture are dwindling. Washington’s already without Stephen Strasburg, who’s been on the injured list since June 2 because of nerve irritation in his neck. Patrick Corbin has had a dreadful season, while Joe Ross has below-average numbers. Jon Lester and Erick Fedde have been decent but unspectacular. (Fedde has missed the past three weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, but he’s expected to return this weekend, Dybas notes).
Scherzer has been his usual incredible self in 2021. He entered play tonight with a sterling 2.22 ERA over 77 innings. Scherzer is missing bats at an elite level, with a 36.1% strikeout rate that ranks fifth among qualified pitchers. He trails only Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole in strikeout/walk rate differential (30.9 percentage points), while his 2.65 SIERA is fourth-lowest in the sport (behind deGrom, Cole and Joe Musgrove).
That level of dominance has surely already inspired teams to call the Nationals to gauge Scherzer’s availability in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. Washington hasn’t traditionally been inclined to move star players, but with their playoff odds down to 2.7% (per FanGraphs’ projections), there’s a case they should listen to offers on the impending free agent. (Scherzer does have complete no-trade rights as a player with ten years of MLB service, five consecutive with his current team). Even nearing his 37th birthday, Scherzer will be one of the more coveted arms on the market this winter. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently placed him tenth on his 2021-22 free agent power rankings.
RIP he’ll be missed
Steve, please enlighten me with your understanding of how WRC+ is figured and compare that to traditional stat keeping. Love to understand why this modern way is so sufficient it would make any one using any other method, even as a third measuring tool, completely obsolete.
Thanks for your time !
Google is your friend…
Cool. Look it up and let me know your opinion. Look forward to read what you have to say about it about too
Classic. “I don’t want to do that, I want someone to do it for me.”
@bot
Fangraphs has an encyclopedia of all the new metrics. Now, I do pay attention much more to OPS than batting average these days.
But, I do not have a whole lot of use for the “park adjusted” stuff for a variety of reasons.
Check out that encyclopedia, bro.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Ya know?
@ducky Imo, I’ll look at batting average, but only when I’m able to use slugging percentage. BA has it’s place, but is completley worthless without context. Like hitting .280 can mean anything. Take for example in 2019. Justin Turner and David Fletcher had identical batting averages. Ovbisously, anyone would have taken Turner because he had 11 more XBH than Fletcher.
The park adjusted stats, like wRC+, OPS+, ERA+/-, FIP- are pretty easy ways for me to see who’s a good batter/pitcher and who isn’t. I’d also start looking at wOBA too. It’s prett much just weighted OPS.
All I was looking for was a hot take. And Really from Steve as he got all uptight Bc I said Madrigal was just good and not super amazing. But whatever, it’s hubcaps world. Rest of us just living in it.
I get it.
& batting average (typically) makes up the bulk of on base percentage. So it does have import.
Ronald Torreyes with the ’17 Yanks hit .292, but with an OPS of .689. (Sadly, this would be an upgrade to DJ Lemahieu…ooof).
I disagree with the specificity of them.
I feel they would be more representative & useful if they were arranged in tiers. (“Exactly X% better than league average”etc, strikes me as misleading & inaccurate.)
I also struggle with a lot of the assumptions made when it comes to the actual practice of “park adjustment”. As we discussed on a different that “adjustment” is dynamic. Seems to me a possible/probable direct connection to the players playing in *that* park *that* year.
Disagree that an HBP is more valuable than a BB.
So, typically, I look at OPS & FIP & compare those with what that season’s league average is.
But, I do that purposefully as opposed to out of not understanding them. It almost seems these metrics (wrc+, OPS+, ERA+, ERA-) were created in an effort to kind of “dumb down” analyzing stats.
Just make 100 “average” & go from there.
All of OPS & FIP are derived from traditional stats. I just make the tiny added effort of comparing it to league average.
I don’t mind WAR & park adjusted metrics as quick & dirty tools. Not much else though.
Hey Ducky,
You’ve got to look at park-adjusted stats. I see Giants fans that hate Brandon Belt, and they’re totally ignoring the fact that he’s playing in probably the worst park in baseball suited to his skill set. That’s why his traditional numbers are less than spectacular. But when you consider his park-adjusted stats his true value is apparent.
Park-adjusted stats are particularly valuable for guys playing in places like Coors Field, or the Great American Small Park. It’s easy to be fooled by big numbers, but park-adjusted stats help you separate the true talent from the advantages of a hitter’s park.
I know park-adjusted stats aren’t perfect, but no stat is. Why would you use any other stat when a park-adjusted stat is available, because they help level the playing field?
Hey Ducky:
You wrote:
“Exactly X% better than league average”etc, strikes me as misleading & inaccurate.”
But no one said that the differential was “exact”. It’s not perfect, but neither is OPS, and it provides a much better comparison for a guy playing at Coors, or Great America, to a guy playing at Oracle or Dodger stadium. There’s just a huge advantage for hitters in some parks, and park-adjusted stats mitigate that advantage making a better comparison.
Brandon Belt has an OPS of .828.
2021 league average OPS is .708.
I have no problem just using that to understand he’s having a good year at the plate. Noticed he put up 1.105(!) last year. So he’s certainly been hitting for you guys.
Frank Zappa why dose it hurt when I pee
Injuries are never good, but it’s a relief that it’s not an arm injury. Hopefully he can come back quickly. Love watching this guy pitch!
Hopefully he’s just taking a break because the umps are checking baseballs.
He should be fine when they stop looking for grip.
St Louis cardinals better not trade Nolan Goreman for him or anyone else. Knowing John Mozeliak of recent he’d trade him for Scott Kazmir. Once the universal DH comes him and Paul Goldschimdt should split time there and at first base.
He peed himself 🙁
Come on home Max. I don’t blame Mo for not signing him last time I remember the context around the situation. But this time? Make it happen.
Not for Nolan Goreman I swear they’ve traded away a playoff team already, they gotta hang on to him.
Please learn to spell Gorman’s name. And that trade would never happen, even as dumb as Mo is.
Does Vegas have a betting line on injured pitchers? This is becoming a weekly event.
At least it appears to be a lower body issue if that’s any kind of saving grace. Hopefully for WAS and Scherzer it’s a minor issue that can be overcome quickly so he can be dealt to a contender.
The Nationals are hoping this is nothing serious so they can move him in the next month to retool their farm system!
The way he was stretching his leg, looked like a hip or groin.
If so, that’s a few starts missed, minimum
Most, out of contention, teams would trade him, but the Nats aren’t most teams.
I still can’t believe they moved Bryce Harper to the OF.
You cant? They did it for all the right reasons or philly coulda let jt gonand moved him back.
They did it for the right reasons but it ended up screwing them in the long run.
His bat at catcher would have been Mike Piazza level.
But at least they got his age 19-21 seasons in arbitration.
Bryce Harper signed a major league contract when he was drafted.
Why did he spend two seasons in the minors before his debut?
If they gave him a major league contract, could they still keep him in the minors for 2 seasons?
He played one season. 20 games into his second, age 19 season, he was called up and he stuck, both because he played well and he had no service time/arb considerations because again, he signed a major league contract. I think he signed the last contract of that nature as a draftee.
Max should be traded and Nate shouldn’t wait to do it.
Memo to the Colorado Rockies: This is why you need to move Marquez now. You won’t be contending for the duration of his contract and he will fetch a hefty return. The way things are going in baseball, why risk your best trade chip getting hurt when teams are desperate for starting pitching?
He’s a better fit for anyone wanting to contend over next couple seasons more so than just this year. If I need a front line starter down the stretch this season – it ain’t him
He’s front-line. Of the guys who might available, he would be my first choice for both reasons: win now and win later. The better teams will see it that way. Which means he’ll fetch more than a rental.
Regardless of that, from a Rockies standpoint, there is no reason to keep him.
Story seems way more of a burn out target than Marquez. He’s just been to up and down in his career.
That being said – Marquez would be a great fit in Boston. Not a jeter downs fan but he’d be a good fit in Colorado
Whether Downs is anyone’s answer is a big question. In his favor is he can potentially play several spots on the diamond. If I’m the Rockies, I try to get as many of those guys as I can because they need help everywhere. A reasonable strategy for any team, really. Accumulate guys who are athletic enough to play CF and SS. With a few exceptions, I wouldn’t want anyone that’s a corner outfielder or first baseman.
Mad max has as much trade value as any 1/2 year rental in recent memory. Especially with his long term consistency compared to this current spin rates era and the crack down that may or may not happen. Hope he hangs around and gets dealt.
He tweaked his groin. Yikes.
total beta injury.
Gonorrhea is a serious ailment.
Same.