Scherzer to start spring training opener

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Matt Williams announced this afternoon that Max Scherzer will start Thursday's spring training opener against the Mets. Tanner Roark, who most likely will be bumped from this year's starting rotation due to Scherzer's signing, will be the next to take the mound in the first exhibition game. Williams has a limit in mind for his pitchers.

"Two innings, 45-ish (pitches), depending on how it goes, depending how stressful those innings are," Williams said. "It won't surpass two, I don't think. Even if it's a quick two, we'll probably stay there. We have plenty of time to get ready."

Williams watched Scherzer throw his final bullpen session on Tuesday morning behind the left field wall at Space Coast Stadium.

"He's ready," Williams said of Scherzer. "They're all ready. But there's nothing to read into it, other than he's going to get the ball on Thursday. And five days later he'll get it again. We do have off-days. We have two of them in the last week. We have kind of a plan set out for spring training, with some adjustments that can be made, depending on off-days, depending on everybody's health. But there's nothing to read into it."

The Nats surprised the baseball world by signing Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract just 45 days ago. Now Williams will hand him the ball for the first official pitch of the Grapefruit League season barely a month and a half later. The 30-year-old Scherzer won the American League Cy Young Award in 2013 when he went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA for the Tigers. Last season, he finished tied for third in the majors with 252 strikeouts while going 18-5. Scherzer also brings a wealth of playoff experience to the Nationals, having started 10 games in eight different playoff series, including two in the 2012 World Series with Detroit.

Williams will wait until to mid-to-late March before he establishes an actual starting rotation for the regular season.

"We can't set it," he said. "Last year, we got to the third game, and Jordan (Zimmermann) was sick. He had the flu, and that was Game 3 of the season. So you just never know. We pushed him to the home start. So we just don't know."

The Mets plan to start Bartolo Colon on Thursday, meaning two former AL Cy Young Award winners will face off in the exhibition opener. Colon, 41, won the award in 2005 with the Angels. Last season, he was 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA in his first season in New York.

Thursday's starters could be a preview for opening day. The Mets have indicated that Colon is likely to get the nod to start the season opener at Nats Park.