Nationals activate Strasburg, place Scherzer on DL

The Washington Nationals returned from rehab assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on Saturday. Prior to Friday night's game, the Nationals placed right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 15) with left neck inflammation. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Strasburg, 29, returns to the Nationals after missing 23 games with a right elbow nerve impingement. Strasburg is 10-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 20 starts this season. He made one rehab start with the Single-A Potomac Nationals, allowing one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work on Aug. 14. Despite this stint on the disabled list, he still ranks among National League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (3rd, 10.43), home runs per nine innings (3rd, 0.89), walk and hits per innings pitched (4th, 1.12), earned run average (6th, 3.25), strikeout-to-walk ratio (8th, 3.81), and strikeouts (T11th, 141). Scherzer, 33, is 12-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 24 starts in 2017. He ranks at or near the top of the National League in many categories, including strikeouts (1st, 220), walks and hits per innings pitched (1st, 0.85), strikeouts per nine innings (1st, 12.35), ERA (2nd, 2.25), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3rd, 5.64).