Max Scherzer will have to wait to aid in the Rangers’ World Series title defense.
The Rangers star, acquired from the Mets at the 2023 trade deadline, will be sidelined until at least June and possibly July after having surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back.
“After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer said in a statement released by the Rangers. “During this time, I received a diagnosis of a herniated disc.
“After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery. Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer.”
The recovery window furthers the Rangers’ rotational woes.
Already without Jacob deGrom, as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, Texas will have to open the season without Scherzer or Tyler Mahle — signed this week to a two-year, $22 million deal — who is also recovering from Tommy John.
“We had hoped to have a healthy Max Scherzer at the beginning of the season, obviously,” Texas GM Chris Young said. “That said, we also recognized that we were going to need pitching depth. I’m not sure it changes much in terms of building out that depth. It thins us out a little bit on the front half of the season…. Again, pitching will remain a focus and we’ll continue to look for any way to improve our club.”
The Rangers got glimpses of what Scherzer could offer after trading for him.
The 39-year-old went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA after being traded to Texas, making eight starts during the regular season, but missing the wild-card and divisional rounds of the playoffs with a shoulder strain.
He struggled in two AL Championship Series starts, going 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA.
Still, he contributed three scoreless innings to start a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series against the Diamondbacks.
“I’ll tell you this. Max, in my experience, has a very high threshold for pain, and he also knows his body really, really well,” Young said. “When he is feeling something, he’s very open and honest about how he’s feeling. I think it’s been helpful for us to in terms of managing these things.”
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