Nationals ace Max Scherzer suffers groin injury in loss to Giants

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer exited Friday's 1-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants due to a groin injury after tossing just 12 pitches. 

The 36-year-old righty retired the game's first batter and threw one pitch to Brandon Belt before Nationals manager Dave Martinez and athletic trainer Paul Lessard visited the mound.

After the game, Scherzer said he suffered the injury while warming up before the game. 

"It could subside fairly quickly," Scherzer said, according to ESPN's Joon Lee. "Going into the clubhouse, I was frustrated as all to get out. Turns out a little grab was all it was. The good news is that it is not a muscle strain. I am really day-to-day. I am very confident this will be very mild.''

Scherzer is 5-4 on the season with a 2.21 ERA, 0.815 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 77.1 innings. 

An injury to the 36-year-old could prove costly for the Nationals ahead of next month's trade deadline. Scherzer is in the final year of a seven-year, $210 million contract and could be one of Major League Baseball's top targets. 

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Nationals are not ready to listen to offers for Scherzer, but their mindset could change in the coming weeks if they continue to fall out of the playoff race.