Nationals' Scherzer hits first career homer, exits game soon after with neck spasms

Scherzer threw one warm-up pitch before the bottom of the second and then pulled himself

Nationals ace Max Scherzer came into his Tuesday night start against the Marlins with a career line of .188/.223/.203 at the plate. That's not all that bad for a pitcher, but there's definitely a pronounced lack of power. Of Scherzer's 49 career hits, just four have gone for extra bases -- all doubles.

Well, on Tuesday Scherzer registered his first home run, and suffice it to say it was legit ... 

Max Scherzer hammers a three-run home run into the left-field seats for his first Major League home run in the top of the 2nd inning!!! pic.twitter.com/J7Obcnf70W

— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) August 1, 2017

Nothing cheap about that one. Also, the sense of disbelief on Scherzer's face is almost palpable. Speaking of which ... 

We'll never hear the end of it...

— Adam Eaton (@AdamSpankyEaton) August 1, 2017

All was not well for Scherzer on this night, however ... 

This is bizarre. Max Scherzer is coming out of this game. Came out to throw warmup pitches, then walked off and said "I can't go."

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) August 1, 2017

The club later announced that Scherzer left the game because of neck spasms, which resulted from how he slept. This shows that he was in obvious discomfort in the dugout not long after pulling himself ... 

Max Scherzer grimacing in the dugout after his home run before he took himself out of the game. #Nats pic.twitter.com/CROihtCDkf

— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) August 1, 2017

Scherzer needed just 10 pitches to work a scoreless first frame. After leaving he was replaced by Matt Grace.

The good news, of course, is that it wasn't his arm. Issues with the neck, back and the like can lead to altered mechanics, which in turn can affect a pitcher's arm, so this is a prudent decision by Scherzer.