After surviving Dodgers, banged-up Nats now host Braves

The Nationals survived their weekend series with the Dodgers. That's probably the best way to describe what took place the last three days on South Capitol Street, where the majors' hottest team of the last two months took on the majors' best team of the entire season and suffered a pair of frustrating losses before bouncing back to win Sunday's finale.

Given the matchup and the state of their pitching staff, the Nats couldn't complain about the 1-2 result. Nor their 3-4 overall record against the Dodgers this season, hardly anything to be ashamed about considering the decimated lineup the Nationals had back in May and the fact they had to ask for 6 2/3 innings out of Matt Grace and Joe Ross on Saturday.

"I said once we get healthy, once we get everything going, I think we match up really well with them," manager Davey Martinez said. "I really do. Granted, their record's better than ours. But if you look, we match up really well against them."

If healthy, yes, the Nationals match up well with just about anybody in baseball right now. Trouble is, they're not entirely healthy. And that makes this week's critical series with the Braves a lesser matchup than it could have been.

As feared, Max Scherzer does not appear likely to make his scheduled start Tuesday night. The ace, who has been dealing with an ailing upper back for more than three weeks now, was hoping to be able to throw a bullpen session Sunday. He wound up not throwing at all.

"I have to say I'm very doubtful that he'll make his start on Tuesday," Martinez acknowledged after Sunday's win. "We'll feel out what happens with him tomorrow. He said he felt better today. He was able to actually do some stuff. But we'll figure that out tomorrow."

If Scherzer can't throw off a mound today, there's no reason to believe he'll be cleared to pitch Tuesday. Which means Erick Fedde becomes the likely replacement candidate for that start against Julio Teheran (though the right-hander can only be recalled from Double-A Harrisburg fewer than 10 days after he was demoted if he's replacing a teammate who has to go on the injured list).

The Nationals still have Patrick Corbin on the mound tonight against Dallas Keuchel, and then Aníbal Sánchez starting Wednesday against Mike Soroka. But they may now also be without their slugging first baseman.

Matt Adams had to depart Sunday's game, two innings after he took a pitch off his right foot. Adams, who was clearly hobbled as he walked down the first base line, initially stayed in the game but really struggled to run the bases on Brian Dozier's subsequent double to deep left field and was easily thrown out at the plate after third base coach Bob Henley waved him around.

Initial X-rays were inconclusive because of all the swelling in Adams' foot, so they'll need to try again today and hope for a clearer view. But Martinez didn't sound too optimistic about the first baseman's status for the upcoming series.

"I hope it's just something like he has a contusion, and in a few days he'll feel better," the manager said. "But we'll see. If it was broke, I think he would've known it once it hit him and he couldn't stand on it. But I'm not a doctor, nor do I claim to read X-rays or anything like that. So tomorrow, when we get another X-ray, we'll see exactly what's going on."

Adams' injury comes only one week after Ryan Zimmerman went back on the IL with a recurrence of the plantar fasciitis that sidelined him two months earlier this season. It leaves the Nationals with only Howie Kendrick and Gerardo Parra playing first base, and that leaves them with a much thinner bench.

Suffice it to say, they don't appear to heading into this series with the Braves at full health. And given the fact they're trying to make up a 5 1/2-game deficit, every little potential advantage or disadvantage looms large.