Max Scherzer of the Texas Rangers has suffered a serious injury.
One of the Texas Rangers’ significant acquisitions shortly before the MLB trade deadline will now be unable to assist the organization in any way down the stretch. Max Scherzer has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season by Rangers manager Chris Young due to a “teres major strain” in his right pitching shoulder.
We know Scherzer will not pitch in the Rangers’ final 18 regular-season games, and even a return to the postseason (assuming the Rangers make it) is not guaranteed, with his status for the playoffs designated as “unlikely.” If there is any good news, it is that Scherzer will not need surgery.
Nonetheless, the fact that the 39-year-old former Cy Young Award winner made only eight starts for the Rangers after being acquired in a trade from New York is not what the franchise had in mind. Scherzer pitched 45 innings for the Rangers, posting an ERA of 3.20, a little improvement from the 4.01 he had with the Mets.
Scherzer first felt pain during Tuesday’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays before being lifted in the sixth inning due to medical concerns. Scherzer said shortly after the game that he would have loved to continue pitching, but the team evidently felt differently. The following day, the right-handed pitcher received an MRI, which revealed the season-ending injury for the former World Series winner.
Scherzer, who has a $43.3 million player option for the 2024 season, should be able to help the Rangers make another playoff run next year.
