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Nats’ Scherzer to be ready for season

WASHINGTON — With a “2019 World Series Champions” patch stitched onto the right sleeve of his white Washington Nationals jersey, and his eyes — one brown, one blue — open wide, Max Scherzer made it clear as clear can be Saturday that his neck is just fine and his preseason routine is same as ever.

“I played catch probably two weeks after the World Series and I was playing catch OK, so I knew that there was no long-term damage. I did the whole MRI thing and that came away clean, too. Everybody wanted to dot their I’s and cross their T’s and everybody did,” Scherzer said with a chuckle at the club’s annual fan festival at Nationals Park.

“I’m good. I’m strong. I’m good,” he added, as if to emphasize the point. “I can throw a baseball. I’m good.”

The three-time Cy Young Award winner, third in the 2019 NL voting after going 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 243 strikeouts in 172 1/3 innings, started his preparation for spring training on Jan. 1, just like he did a year ago.

So what if he basically added a month to his season by playing all the way until the end of October?

“I’ve recovered from our playoff run. I’m back in the training. I feel good. Right where I need to be throwing the ball,” Scherzer said. “I’ll be going into spring training full tilt.”

As if nothing had happened at all last season, when he went on the injured list twice because of an upper back issue, making fewer than 30 starts in a year for the first time since his first season in the majors, then was scratched from Game 5 of the Fall Classic because of a neck problem.

Scherzer did end up making it back to the mound for Game 7, which Washington won against the Houston Astros for the first title in franchise history.

Elsewhere in MLB:

n NL MVP Cody Bellinger agreed Friday to an $11.5 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest salary for a player eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Shortstop Corey Seager agreed to a $7.6 million, one-year deal with the Dodgers, also skipping arbitration.

Los Angeles is headed toward arbitration with four players. Outfielder Joc Pederson requested a $9.5 million salary while the Dodgers offered $7.75 million, outfielder Chris Taylor is seeking $5.8 million and was offered $5.25 million, infielder Max Muncy wants $4,675,000 and was offered $4 million, and reliever Pedro Baez faces a gap of $4 million versus $3.5 million.

Bellinger, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .305 with a career-high 47 homers and 115 RBIs, a bargain at $605,000. He also won a Gold Glove Award for his outfield play. With 2 years, 160 days of major league service, Bellinger is eligible for arbitration three more times and can become a free agent after the 2023 season.

Bellinger’s deal tops the old mark of $10.85 million on a one-year deal for Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs in January 2018.

Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, missed most of the 2018 season following Tommy John surgery. He hit .272 with 19 homers and 87 RBIs this year, tying for the NL lead with 44 doubles. He earned a raise from a $4 million salary last year.

n Infielder Jedd Gyorko signed a $2 million, one-year deal Friday with the Milwaukee Brewers that includes a club option for 2021.

The 31-year-old Gyorko has played seven major league seasons with San Diego, St. Louis and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was hampered by injuries in 2019 and batted .174 with two homers in 62 games with the Cardinals and Dodgers. He had been a steady contributor prior to last season and hit 30 homers for St. Louis in 2016.

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