Scherzer OK after tweaking muscle in dugout

MIAMI -- Max Scherzer tweaked the intercostal muscle on his left side dodging a foul ball in the dugout during the eighth inning of Sunday’s 5-0 victory over the Marlins.

Scherzer successfully evaded a foul ball off the bat of Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson with one out in the inning, but he felt some discomfort as he jumped out of the way, prompting head athletic trainer Paul Lessard to check on him in the dugout during the inning.

After the game, Scherzer did not seem overly concerned about the injury, and television cameras caught him laughing and joking in the dugout shortly after. He believed the issue would clear up in a day or two, and it does not appear likely to jeopardize his next start, which would be Friday night at Nationals Park.

Scherzer is coming off an uncharacteristic outing Saturday night in Miami, during which he gave up 11 hits and seven runs (six earned) in 5 1/3 innings on 108 pitches.

Some Nationals hitters took issue with the shadows created by an open roof at Marlins Park on Sunday afternoon, which made it difficult to see the ball at the plate and in the dugout, but Scherzer said he saw the ball clearly and did not believe this was a result of the shadows.

“We just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with him,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He jumped all over the place, but I think he’s fine.”