Healthy again, Scherzer will head to Florida in two weeks

When last we saw him inside a ballpark, Max Scherzer was drenched in champagne and beer, his body and his mind completely exhausted after a gutsy Game 7 start to help lead the Nationals to their first World Series title.

Scherzer, who pitched three days after receiving a pain-relieving injection in his neck that forced him to miss his scheduled Game 5 start, admitted that glorious night in Houston it would take some time to recover from all this.

Not that much time, though, as the veteran right-hander revealed Tuesday.

Speaking to a group of reporters at Nationals Park shortly after the press conference to formally announce Stephen Strasburg's new $245 million contract, Scherzer declared himself healthy and ready to begin his offseason throwing program.

"We are good," the 35-year-old insisted. "Short (offseason). But hey, we're good. Two weeks away from going down to Florida. Can't wait."

Scherzer indeed will depart for West Palm Beach right after New Year's Day, just as he typically does to get a jump start on spring training. He'll do so having taken a little bit of time off following the draining World Series victory (and subsequent celebration) but having already begun playing catch.

"Took a really nice hangover," he said with a laugh. "After I was able to shake that one, I was able to pick up the ball."

First, though, Scherzer visited doctors and took tests to make sure his neck and his back - which forced him to take his first extended stint on the injured list in his career in late summer - were fine. They were.

"First and foremost, we had to rule out all long-term injuries, worry with that, with MRIs," he said. "We did that. There's nothing there. I got all my strength. Got everything situated in that regard."

He has been playing catch for a couple weeks, but more importantly, he has been working out in an attempt to get himself into his best possible shape before he really starts ramping up his throws in Florida.

Given what he went through this season, when he failed to make 30 starts for the first time since he was a rookie in 2008, Scherzer understands how important it is to enter 2020 healthy in every way.

"Last year was the best year of my career," he said. "I'll take that every year. I'll win the World Series every year. But frustrating how I got hurt, and that I was missing starts in the critical time of the year. That's something that I definitely don't want to happen two years in a row."