- Scherzer exits early with injury
- MRI on Wednesday rules pitcher out for rest of regualr season
- Further blow to Rangers with Jacob deGrom out for the season
Texas Rangers’ right-hander Max Scherzer left in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a right triceps spasm. An MRI is scheduled for Wednesday.
Scherzer Leaves Exit Early After Tricep Spasms
Texas Rangers, star pitcher Max Scherzer was forced to leave Tuesday night’s 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays due to a right triceps spasm. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is set to undergo an MRI on Wednesday to assess the injury’s severity.
Scherzer, who had a 13-6 record going into the game, felt discomfort on his first pitch to the Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette in the sixth inning. Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy and the team’s trainer rushed to the mound for a brief discussion with Scherzer, who appeared frustrated as he left the field. Right-hander José Leclerc replaced him for the remainder of the game.
“We did not want him to pitch through it,” said Bochy. “We were not going to take any chances there. It’s too bad, because he really had good stuff.”
Prior to his abrupt exit, Scherzer had been performing well, not allowing a single run and breaking a four-start winless streak. He threw 73 pitches in total, 49 of which were strikes.
Scherzer revealed that he began feeling tightness while warming up for the sixth inning but hoped the discomfort would pass. “When I threw that first curveball to Bichette, it just felt like a charley horse,” he explained. Scherzer tried to deliver two warmup pitches but was unable to continue. “I could feel I just wasn’t going to be able to throw another baseball,” he said.
The early exit follows an indifferent performance from Scherzer last week when he allowed a season-high seven earned runs in a loss to the Houston Astros.
With the Rangers securing a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays, Scherzer seemed optimistic despite his injury. “We needed a good team win, and we got it,” he said.
It was confirmed on Wednesday that Scherzer’s injury has ruled him out of the regular season and has left him with only a small chance of being fit for the play-offs.
Betting Implications
The Rangers acquired Scherzer from the Mets during the trade deadline to bolster their squad in terms of depth and quality. The Rangers are currently in a tight race for the American League West, and every game is significant during the run-in. Scherzer is one of the best pitchers in the league, and not having him as the regular season concludes could damage their chances of making the playoffs.
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