Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer had a tough return from his five-game suspension on Tuesday night. After missing five games due to a violation of Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, Scherzer was back on the mound for the Nationals against the Philadelphia Phillies. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
Scherzer allowed six runs in four innings of work, including a three-run home run to Phillies slugger Bryce Harper in the first inning. He also gave up four walks and struck out just three batters. It was a far cry from the dominant pitcher that Scherzer has been throughout his career.
The suspension was the result of an incident between Scherzer and his wife in early April. Scherzer was accused of pushing his wife during an argument, though he denied any wrongdoing and was never charged with a crime. MLB suspended him for five games as a result of the incident.
Scherzer’s struggles in his return were a surprise to many, as he had been pitching well before the suspension. He had a 3.72 ERA and had allowed just two runs in his last two starts before the suspension.
It’s unclear what caused Scherzer’s struggles in his return, but it’s possible that the suspension may have affected his performance. It’s also possible that the Phillies simply had his number on Tuesday night. Whatever the case, it was an uncharacteristically poor outing for Scherzer, and he’ll look to rebound in his next start.
The Nationals will hope that Scherzer can get back to his usual form soon, as they are currently in the middle of a tight race for the National League East title. With Scherzer at the top of their rotation, they have a good chance of making the playoffs this season.
It remains to be seen how Max Scherzer will respond to his suspension and his struggles in his return to the mound. But one thing is certain: he will need to be at his best if the Nationals are going to make a deep playoff run this season.
