- Left September 12th outing due to spasms in his tricep
- Will miss reminder of the regular season and possibly the playoffs
- Scherzer was their big acquisition during the trade deadline
Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer’s MLB season has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season and is unlikely to return for the postseason due to a muscle strain.
Max Scherzer Shut Down For The Rest of The Regular Season
The Texas Rangers received devastating news today when General Manager Chris Young announced that star pitcher Max Scherzer will not be available for the rest of the regular season. The 39-year-old is also “unlikely” to make an appearance in the postseason, dealing a significant blow to the team’s playoff hopes.
Scherzer suffered a low-grade strain of his teres major muscle but won’t require surgery, Young confirmed. The veteran pitcher was pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Blue Jays in the sixth inning after showing signs of discomfort. Initially, the injury was described as a triceps spasm.
The incident occurred after Blue Jays outfielder George Springer hit a ball right back at Scherzer, forcing the pitcher to awkwardly contort his body to avoid it. Shortly after, Scherzer grimaced during a pitch to Bo Bichette and subsequently exited the game.
“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 tell it didn’t release. I just wasn’t going to be able to throw another baseball.”
This injury comes at a critical time for the Rangers, who are just one game behind the Houston Astros in the American League West division race. They are also in a tight battle for a wild card spot, sitting a half-game ahead of both the Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners as of Wednesday.
Texas had acquired Scherzer from the New York Mets before the trade deadline in a deal that sent prospect Luisangel Acuña to the Mets. Since his arrival in Texas, Scherzer has been in good form, posting a 3.20 ERA and striking out 53 batters over 45 innings.
In a twist of irony, the teres major strain is the same injury that Scherzer’s former Mets teammate, Justin Verlander, suffered earlier this spring.
Scherzer plans to exercise his player option to remain with the Rangers in 2024. The Mets had traded him as part of their strategy to bolster their prospect pool and aim for future competitiveness.
The loss of Scherzer adds extra urgency to the Rangers’ upcoming games as they vie for a postseason berth without one of the league’s premier pitchers.
Betting Implications
The Rangers have the fourth-best odds to win the World Series (+800), according to Caesars Sportsbook. These odds could drop without Scherzer in their rotation. There is also a chance the Rangers won’t even make the playoffs, as they are one game behind in the American League West and have only a 1.5-game lead for a Wild Card spot. The team had been struggling recently; although they currently have a five-game winning streak, they previously lost 17 of their last 20 games. They’ll try to fight for a playoff spot, but they could come up short.
