Max Scherzer to Miss Remainder of Season

By Nate Miller

September 13, 2023

The Texas Rangers have made the difficult decision to shut down right-hander Max Scherzer for the rest of the season. The team made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon, and it was first reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Rangers general manager Chris Young said that it is unlikely Scherzer will be able to pitch in the postseason, either. This comes as a tough blow to the Rangers, who are in an intense stretch to keep their playoff hopes alive. Losing a key piece of their starting rotation in Max Scherzer this late in the season doesn’t bode well. To take his place on the roster, the Rangers have recalled right-hander Jonathan Hernandez from Triple-A Round Rock.

Injury Specifics

Max Scherzer exited Tuesday night’s game after 5 1/3 scoreless innings. At the time, he was diagnosed with a right triceps spasm. In eight starts for the Rangers, Scherzer was 4–2 with a 3.20 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 45 innings. He did well since coming over from the New York Mets in a Deadline Day trade. Entering play on Wednesday, the Rangers are sitting a half-game up for the second AL Wild Card spot. They are a game behind the Houston Astros in for the AL West division lead.

At this point in time, the Rangers are still discussing who will take Max Scherzer’s place in the rotation. Right now they have relievers Andrew Heaney, Martin Perez, and Cody Bradford to choose from. All have experience as major league starters. With this in mind, the creativity of Rangers manager Bruce Bochy will be tested in the final weeks of the regular season.

Looking Ahead

The Rangers have 18 games remaining in the regular season. They are in good shape, as they have won the first two games of their four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. After that series wraps up, they’ll fly to the Buckeye State for three against the Cleveland Guardians.

They’ll return to Arlington on Monday for their final homestand of the season, which will be six games. They face the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners in that stretch. Then they’ll close out the regular season on the road with three against the Los Angeles Angels and three against the Mariners. The Rangers will miss the presence of Max Scherzer on the mound, but it will be interesting to see what they can do with the resources that they have.