Max Scherzer Injury Update: Rangers ace expected to pitch against White Sox next week if rehab goes well
Max Scherzer has had plenty of injury struggles since joining the Texas Rangers, and he has spent the last few weeks out of the rotation yet again. However, manager Bruce Bochy foresees a return for the former Cy Young winner soon, barring any more setbacks.
Scherzer had missed the season's first half before returning to make eight starts in June and July. However, a new shoulder issue arose, forcing him to the IL on August 2. Now, he's making a rehab start and could be back at the MLB level next week.
Shawn McFarland reported that Bochy has Scherzer set to make a rehab start on Friday. Some rehab stints are lengthy, but the Rangers don't believe this will be. As long as the outing goes well, he'll be back next week to take on the Chicago White Sox.
Scherzer threw a bullpen yesterday, and Bochy said:
"All went well, really well. He feels good, we like where he's at."
Barring any setbacks, Scherzer will be back on the team for the final stretch of the regular season, with Jacob deGrom likely joining in a similar timeline. The Rangers are, however, 11 games out of the AL West and 12.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot.
Max Scherzer wants to pitch again in 2025
There may be a temptation for an aging pitcher (Max Scherzer is 40 now) to take the injuries and shut down on a lost season since the Texas Rangers are virtually out of it. That's not what Scherzer wants, though.
"When I'm out there, I've been able to compete," Scherzer told the Dallas Morning News last week. "I look at things like my slider, which I went into the season wanting to fix, and it's been really good. I still see myself as able to compete and win."
Now, he's almost back to compete and perhaps help the Rangers win some games down the stretch.