Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer left Tuesday’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays with what appeared to be a fairly minor injury, but it turns out to have been much more than that.
Rangers GM Chris Young announced Wednesday that Scherzer will miss the remainder of the season with a strain of his teres major muscle. While Scherzer will not need surgery, it is “unlikely” he will even be able to return for the playoffs.
Max Scherzer out rest of regular season with teres major STRAIN. “Unlikely” he pitches in postseason, per Chris Young. But surgery not needed
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) September 13, 2023
This is brutal news for the Rangers and could not come at a worse time. Scherzer was a major trade deadline acquisition for Texas, and they gave up a very notable prospect to land him. He wound up making eight starts, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA. The good news is the Rangers will have him next year, as he agreed to exercise his 2024 player option as a part of the trade that sent him to Texas from the New York Mets.
The news comes as the Rangers are trying to avoid a major late-season collapse. They once led the AL West by 6.5 games, but hit a rough patch in mid-August and are now clinging to an AL Wild Card spot. They will now have to try to hold onto it without the help of their ace.
