Skip to main content

Scherzer’s knuckle causing pain; Nats make contingency plans

By The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Neither Max Scherzer nor Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker is certain the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will be ready to pitch when opening day rolls around.

That’s because Scherzer is dealing with pain from a broken knuckle on the ring finger of his throwing hand, an injury that arose late season but wasn’t diagnosed until December. Baker said he’s thinking about contingency plans just in case his ace can’t pitch when Washington starts the regular season April 3.

“I’ve dealt with aches and pains and strains. This is a whole different ballgame,” Scherzer said Thursday. “When you start dealing with a fracture, rest is really your only option to make everything heal.”

Thursday was the first day of official workouts for Washington’s pitchers and catchers at the team’s new spring training facility. While others such as Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark or Gio Gonzalez stood atop a mound for a 10-minute bullpen session, Scherzer threw elsewhere.

Only this week did Scherzer start throwing baseballs at all in preparation for the 2017 season, and that was “with a modified grip, but not my true grip,” he explained. Before that recent step in the right direction, the righty was sticking to tossing tennis or lacrosse balls, because they were smaller and not as painful.

“There’s nothing any of us can do until he feels 100 percent,” Baker said, “and you certainly don’t want to rush him, because you’re thinking about the long haul.”

Scherzer called the problem with the bottom knuckle on his ring finger “essentially healed,” but he did not offer an answer when asked whether he’ll be ready for opening day.

“I don’t even want to comment on it, because I don’t even know what I’m going to be able to do or not,” Scherzer said. “It’d be unfair for me to even project or even talk about that.”

Asked about the possibility of not having Scherzer at the start of the season, Baker replied: “You hate to lose Max for any period of time. But … that’s just speculation right now. We don’t know. But you certainly have to prepare for that.”

Scherzer went 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA and 284 strikeouts last season, including a record-tying 20 Ks in one game. He is only the sixth pitcher in major league history to win a Cy Young in both the NL and the AL (he earned the latter in 2013 for Detroit).

He revealed last month that he was told in late August he had sprained his right ring finger and so he continued to pitch and pitch well: From Aug. 20 through Oct. 2, a span that covered his last nine starts of the regular season for the NL East champion Nationals, Scherzer went 8-0 with a 2.97 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings.

In the NL Division Series against the Dodgers, Washington lost both of Scherzer’s starts, in Games 1 and 5.

In early December, with the pain persisting, Scherzer went for a second MRI exam, which showed the fracture.

“The hand specialists I’ve talked to, they’ve never heard of a stress fracture in that ring knuckle,” he said. “It’s odd that it happened. I just woke up one day and I had a finger sprain.”

NOTES: Strasburg, who missed the end of last season with a sore right elbow, was part of the first group throwing a bullpen session Thursday and mixed in all of his pitches. “He looked like ‘Stras’ to me,” Baker said. … Among the position players around, ahead of Friday’s official reporting date: 2B Daniel Murphy, SS Trea Turner, 3B Anthony Rendon.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote