Nationals pick Strasburg to start Game 1; Scherzer start unknown

Stephen Strasburg will start Game 1 of the Nationals’ NL Division Series against Chicago, Washington manager Dusty Baker announced Thursday, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer might not pitch before Game 3.

Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring during his last regular-season start and bypassed planned bullpen sessions during workouts at Nationals Park on Wednesday and Thursday.

Lefty Gio Gonzalez did throw off a bullpen mound Thursday, making it seem likely he would start Game 2 on Saturday. The series opens Friday at Washington.

Baker said either Scherzer or Gonzalez would get Game 2, and the other Game 3. “A lot of it depends on our evaluation of Scherzer,” Baker said.

For the second day in a row, Scherzer threw on flat ground in the outfield but did not go through a bullpen mound session, which starters usually do a few days before a game.

The Cubs already announced their pitching plans, saying Wednesday that their rotation would be Kyle Hendricks in Game 1, Jon Lester in Game 2, Jose Quintana in Game 3 and Jake Arrieta in Game 4, if there is one. Braves bring back manager: Atlanta exercised its option on manager Brian Snitker for the 2018 season. The decision comes three days after general manager John Coppolella was forced to resign when an investigation by MLB revealed rules violations in the international player market. Gordon Blakeley, a special assistant to the GM, also resigned.

Snitker, 61, was named interim manager May 16, 2016, and was named to the fulltime job following the 2016 season. Snitker has been with the organization since being hired as a roving instructor by Hank Aaron in 1981.

The Braves finished third in the NL East at 72-90, up from 68 wins in 2016.

Wright surgery: Mets captain David Wright underwent back surgery, his second operation in a month as he tries to return to the major leagues after an absence of 1½ years.

The team said Thursday that Wright had a procedure in Los Angeles called a laminotomy, in which a bony layer over the spinal canal is removed to treat nerve compression.