Max Scherzer’s regular season is done, and the 39-year-old is “unlikely” for the postseason, Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters on Wednesday.
Young said an MRI exam on Wednesday revealed a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle that won’t require surgery.
Young didn’t say how they will fill Scherzer’s spot in the rotation, other than it will be somebody already on the 28-man roster.
“In some ways I was almost relieved that it’s not worse. It’s not surgery,” Scherzer said. “Talking with the doctors, I fully expect to make a full recovery.
Young said team physician Dr. Keith Meister feels confident that the injury will fully heal with rest, and Scherzer said he needed a couple of weeks of not throwing.
“I’ve got to listen to what my body says,” Scherzer added. “I’ll throw a ball when I can throw a ball, but it sounds like I’m not going to be able to throw a ball for a little bit.”
But there are only 2¹/₂ weeks left in the regular season as the Rangers try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Texas (81-64) trails the Astros by a game in the AL West race.
“Unfortunately, the timing of the schedule isn’t going to line up to where we can provide him rest, and he’ll still pitch again, certainly before the regular season,” said Young, who was then asked about the postseason. “I don’t want to rule it out at this point. We’ll see where the next two weeks go and how he’s feeling. That said, it’s probably unlikely.”
Scherzer left his start on Tuesday night in the sixth inning after he appeared to be in discomfort in what was originally described as a triceps spasm.
Blue Jays outfielder George Springer hit a bouncing comebacker right to Scherzer that forced the hurler to distort his body to try and get out of the way.
Then, on the next pitch with Bo Bichette at the plate, Scherzer appeared to grimace on a follow-through.
Scherzer tried to stay in the game, but when a trainer came out and wanted to see him throw some warmup pitches, he could not.
“When I threw that first curveball to Bichette, it just felt like a charley horse,” Scherzer told reporters after the game.
“When I got on the mound and was trying to go through my motion, I could just tell it didn’t release,” Scherzer said. “I could feel I just wasn’t going to be able to throw another baseball.”
Ironically, the teres major strain is the same injury his former Mets teammate, Justin Verlander, suffered from this spring.
Texas acquired Scherzer from the Mets before the trade deadline in exchange for prospect Luisangel Acuña.
After arriving in the Lone Star State, Scherzer recorded a 3.20 ERA while striking out 53 batters over 45 innings.
Scherzer exercised his player option and will be back with the Rangers in 2024.
The decision to unload Scherzer stemmed from a change in direction by the Mets as they looked toward improving their prospect pool and positioning themselves to compete in future years.
Since joining the Mets organization, Acuña has batted .260 in Double-A Binghamton and hit two home runs.
— with AP