Home Baseball ONLY 1 POINT: Frustrated Rangers star Max Scherzer heads back to Texas to have his tired right shoulder examined

ONLY 1 POINT: Frustrated Rangers star Max Scherzer heads back to Texas to have his tired right shoulder examined

Baseball — 08/12/2024

Max Scherzer, who has only made eight starts this season, is heading back to Texas to have his fatigued right shoulder examined, according to general manager Chris Young on Sunday.

Scherzer was placed on the injured list on August 2 due to shoulder fatigue and won’t be eligible to return later this week as initially planned.

“I know he’s frustrated, but he hasn’t made the progress we hoped for with his shoulder,” said General Manager Chris Young before the Rangers finished their three-game series with an 8-7 loss to the Yankees. “We’re hoping to explore additional diagnostic options when we get back and get him back on the mound, but the timeline is uncertain.”

It's been a frustrating season for Max Scherzer, who has made just eight starts.

Scherzer, who came back from offseason back surgery on June 23, has a record of 2-4 with a 3.89 ERA. His last outing before going back on the injured list was challenging; he gave up three runs in four innings and threw 68 pitches in a loss to the Cardinals on July 30.

After that game, Manager Bruce Bochy noted that Scherzer’s arm had “just fatigued,” and he could feel the strain in his triceps.

Scherzer mentioned that night that he was “trying to grind through these starts and ramp up,” and believed he just needed an extra day off rather than a stint on the IL.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner, who turned 40 on July 27, was acquired from the Mets at last season’s trade deadline.

In 2022, Scherzer was limited to 23 starts due to a left oblique injury, and last year, he made 27 starts while dealing with neck spasms and a right teres muscle strain.

He was forced to exit Game 3 of the World Series after three innings and was slated to start a potential Game 7. However, he was removed from the roster before Game 4 in Arizona, the night before the Rangers secured their first World Series title by winning Game 5.

Additionally, Nate Eovaldi is returning to Texas to see team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Eovaldi left after three innings in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader due to right side tightness and might miss or be pushed back from his next scheduled start.

“Our hope is that this is something manageable,” said Young. “He’s feeling better today than he did a few days ago. He believes he can pitch through it, but we’re still evaluating whether that’s the best course of action.”