Planned rotation to begin season: Scherzer, Gonzalez, Strasburg

VIERA, Fla. - Max Scherzer will start on opening day for the Nationals. That's been known, if not officially stated, all along.

The order of the Nationals rotation after Scherzer, however, may come as a surprise to some: Gio Gonzalez will start the season's second game, with Stephen Strasburg following him.

Manager Dusty Baker confirmed that plan this morning, revealing that Gonzalez will pitch April 6 in Atlanta, with Strasburg starting the home opener at Nationals Park against the Marlins the next afternoon.

Why hold Strasburg (universally accepted as the club's No. 2 starter) back til the third game? It has nothing to do with saving him for the home opener, nor is it a concerted effort to split up the Nationals' two power right-handers.

Here's Baker's full explanation:

"Shoot, I'd just as soon have five (power right-handers), back-to-back-to-back-to-back. It's not about philosophical reasons why you break them up. I'm breaking them up because you want to put Gio in between there, because he's had a little bit of history of inconsistency as far as going deep in the game. So until that happens, you'd like to follow your innings guy behind a guy who's still trying to get it together.

"If not, you're going to tax your bullpen for three days in a row. Which potentially in your 3-4-5, if they have short outings, any of those guys ... boy, you're in the bullpen. And then you have to stick with Scherzer longer than you'd like to, because your bullpen is (spent)."

Baker essentially is saying he trusts Scherzer and Strasburg to more consistently go deep into games than Gonzalez. Which means he wants to attempt to have a fresher bullpen on the days Gonzalez starts, while also having faith in the guy pitching the next day to churn out enough innings and give his relievers a breather.

Baker didn't reveal any rotation plans beyond those first three games, but Tanner Roark and Joe Ross are penciled in as the club's fourth and fifth starters. Ross gave the team a scare Sunday when he was left hobbling after taking a comebacker off the back of his right heel, but the 22-year-old right-hander said this morning he barely feels any soreness anymore and expects to remain on schedule to make his next start.