Max Scherzer gave the Texas Rangers two-plus innings of work on Monday night to help them punch their ticket to the World Series, and the right-hander says he emerged from the ALCS with his shoulder in good shape. Scherzer is dealing with a new ailment, however.
Scherzer started for the Rangers in their 11-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS. He allowed 4 hits and 2 earned runs over 2 2/3 innings. During a postgame interview with the FOX MLB crew, Scherzer said his arm is “actually in a good spot.” However, the 39-year-old revealed that he had to pitch through a cut on his thumb.
“I feel good. My arm’s actually in a good spot. I’m not dealing with the strain anymore,” Scherzer said. “I got actually a little cut on my thumb that I’m actually dealing with. That’s actually more of a problem now.”
You can hear Scherzer discuss the thumb issue at the 3:08 mark below:
Max Scherzer and co. join the show! @kevinburkhardt | @AROD | @davidortiz | @derekjeter pic.twitter.com/V7hkHC3Qu9
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 24, 2023
The issue might not be a new one for Scherzer. Back in May, Scherzer said he had a callous on his right thumb split open during one of his starts against the Washington Nationals. He threw six scoreless innings but said he had to fight through some pain.
Max Scherzer had a callous on his right thumb split open during his last start in Washington, resulting in raw skin that caused him pain on most of his pitches today.
"You find out about yourself when you're in pain," said Scherzer, who managed six scoreless innings regardless.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 21, 2023
“You find out about yourself when you’re in pain,” Scherzer said at the time.
When Scherzer first suffered a muscle strain on Sept. 12, the Rangers were not optimistic that he would be able to pitch in the postseason. While the cut on his thumb is a concern, Scherzer should be able to manage that. The fact that his shoulder feels good heading into the World Series is a positive sign for the Rangers.
