WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals don’t know which team they’ll face in the NL wild-card game or where it will be played, but they do know this: Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will be their starting pitcher.
Scherzer got the nod over Stephen Strasburg for Tuesday night’s win-or-go-home game against either the Milwaukee Brewers or St. Louis Cardinals. Any of the three clubs could host the contest, depending how the rest of the regular season goes.
Washington manager Dave Martinez said on Friday that the right-handed Strasburg and lefty starter Patrick Corbin will be on the wild-card roster and be available to pitch in relief.
If Strasburg does not appear on Tuesday and the Nationals win, he would start Game 1 or 2 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
NEW YORK — Freddie Freeman has returned to the Atlanta Braves’ lineup after staying home this week to receive treatment on his sore right elbow.
Freeman was set to bat third and start at first base for the NL East champions against the Mets on Friday night.
The four-time All-Star said he could not straighten his right arm before resting this week. He did not travel with Atlanta for a two-game series at Kansas City and hasn’t played since Sunday.
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge had the top-selling jersey in Major League Baseball for the third consecutive season. The New York Yankees slugger beat out Bryce Harper, according to results released on Friday by MLB.
Judge maintained the top spot despite missing more than a third of the season. The 2017 AL Rookie of the Year entered Friday batting .272 with 26 home runs for the AL East champions.
Harper set a uniform sales record for any athlete in a 24-hour window after signing a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in February.
Since opening day, he’s ranked second in sales behind Judge, followed by NL MVP contender Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers had the fifth-most popular jersey. He didn’t crack the top 20 last season.
Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels ranked ninth, a two-spot improvement from 2018.
Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Báez finished fourth and was joined in the top 20 by teammates Anthony Rizzo (10) and Kris Bryant (16). The Houston Astros also placed three players that high: Jose Altuve (8), Alex Bregman (13) and George Springer (20).
NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Pete Alonso of the New York Mets ranked 14th, and teammate Jacob deGrom was 19th.
Manny Machado, who signed a $300 million, 10-year deal with the San Diego Padres in February, did not crack the top 20.
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