The Washington Nationals have placed ace Max Scherzer on the injured list with a mid-back strain, the team announced Saturday.

The move is retroactive to July 10, meaning Scherzer, who had experienced soreness in his middle back after his last start, is eligible to return July 20.

He had originally been scheduled to start Sunday, but manager Dave Martinez said Friday that an MRI on Scherzer's back came back negative. The three-time Cy Young Award winner threw from 75 feet on Friday.

Scherzer was 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA in his past nine starts before the All-Star break, and he withdrew from the All-Star Game.

To fill his spot on the roster, the Nationals recalled catcher Spencer Kieboom from Triple-A Harrisburg.