Scherzer set to come off IL on Tuesday in Philly

Max Scherzer appears to be confident he's ready to come off the injured list as soon as he becomes eligible in two days.

The Nationals ace threw off the bullpen mound in between games of Saturday's doubleheader, his final significant hurdle in his return from a tweaked groin muscle, and clearly was pleased with the results.

Scherzer didn't stop to talk to reporters who were standing on the warning track between the bullpen and the dugout at Nationals Park. He said everything he needed to say without breaking stride.

"Forty-pitch bullpen, all good," he said. "See you Tuesday."

It was the best evidence yet of Scherzer feeling confident the injury he sustained in the top of the first nine days ago wasn't serious enough to keep him out long.

After some initial hope he might be able to pitch this weekend against the Mets, the Nationals decided not to take any chances and placed the right-hander on the 10-day IL. That means he won't be eligible to return until Tuesday, when the team is scheduled to open a quick, two-game road series at the Phillies.

Barring some unexpected development between now and then, Scherzer should be good to go at Citizens Bank Park, slotting right back into his slot in the Nats rotation.

That likely means Paolo Espino will return to the bullpen after one outstanding fill-in start Wednesday against the Pirates. The journeyman right-hander, who also had to perform emergency relief duties when Scherzer departed his June 11 start against the Giants, wound up tossing five scoreless innings to earn his long-awaited first major league win and now owns a sparkling 2.28 ERA across 27 2/3 innings this season.

Espino has proven adept at pitching in long relief this season and being available whenever something goes awry with a member of the rotation, so he figures to stay on the active roster and return to that long-relief role once Scherzer returns.

Scherzer will thus fill out a rotation that already includes Patrick Corbin, Jon Lester, Erick Fedde and Joe Ross. At some point, the Nationals may have to make a decision on one of them when Stephen Strasburg is deemed ready to return from his neck injury.

But the veteran right-hander isn't close to returning. Strasburg continues to play catch on flat ground in the outfield but has not yet been cleared to throw off a mound, which would indicate his return is still weeks away.