The Rangers introduced in the present day that they’ve positioned veteran right-hander Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured record on account of a strained left hamstring. Proper-hander Gerson Garabito was recalled to take Scherzer’s place on the energetic roster. Scherzer was scheduled to start out tonight’s sport towards the Mariners, however that begin will go to right-hander Dane Dunning as an alternative.
The information brings to an finish Scherzer’s 2024 season. In all, Scherzer managed simply 9 begins and 43 1/3 innings of labor this yr, the primary time since his rookie yr again in 2008 the place he pitched lower than 145 1/3 innings in a 162-game season. His outcomes weren’t particularly dominant even when wholesome sufficient to take the mound, both. His 92.6mph common on his fastball was the bottom of his profession, whereas a 22.6% strikeout charge, 3.95 ERA (100 ERA+), and a 4.18 FIP have been all nearer to pedestrian than elite. Since being acquired from the Mets in alternate for infield prospect Luisangel Acuna final summer time, the veteran righty has pitched to a 3.57 ERA with a 3.79 FIP in 88 1/3 innings of labor for Texas.
These could change into the one innings Scherzer pitches in a Rangers uniform. The longer term Corridor of Famer’s contract in Texas runs solely by way of the tip of the present marketing campaign, and he now seems ticketed for an additional journey by way of free company. Scherzer celebrated his fortieth birthday again in July and has handled a variety of harm issues this yr starting from offseason again surgical procedure to nerve irritation in his throwing hand and triceps space on completely different events, however that hasn’t stopped the veteran from planning to proceed pitching subsequent yr.
Even on the heels of the primary injury-marred marketing campaign of his profession, Scherzer’s total resume speaks for itself: the veteran boasts greater than 3400 strikeouts in his profession to go along with eight profession All-Star appearances, three Cy Younger award wins, and three extra years whereby he was a finalist for the awards. The correct-hander hasn’t posted an ERA north of 4.00 or a below-average ERA+ since 2011, and since then he sports activities a 2.95 ERA and three.00 FIP, to say nothing of his profession 3.78 ERA and 28.8% strikeout charge within the postseason and the 2 World Collection rings he’s earned on account of these 143 innings of labor within the playoffs through the years. Nonetheless, at Scherzer’s age and coming off a platform season that raised loads of questions on his capability to behave because the workhorse beginning pitcher he was all through his 30s now that he’s coming into his 40s, it’s not totally clear what kind of market awaits the veteran ace in free company.
Texas has thrilling younger arms like Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter arising from the farm system to hitch a 2025 rotation corps that features Dunning, Jacob deGrom, Jon Grey, Cody Bradford, and Tyler Mahle, however a return to the Rangers definitely can’t be dominated out. In any case, Scherzer is prone to be joined in heading without spending a dime company by Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jose Urena. That quartet has mixed to start out 74 of the Rangers’ 154 video games so far within the season, or practically half of the membership’s contests. Given the mixture of youth and prolonged harm histories at play in Texas’s present rotation group headed into subsequent yr, it could hardly be a shock to see the membership prioritize including no less than one arm to assist carry the load of the departing starters.
After all, a participant with Scherzer’s storied resume might simply draw curiosity from loads of different golf equipment within the league the league. The correct-hander’s former groups in Detroit and D.C. are each seemingly able to take the subsequent step after prolonged rebuilding durations and may gain advantage from including a veteran arm to their younger rotations, and Scherzer’s hometown Cardinals seem prone to try to revamp their rotation combine behind employees ace Sonny Grey after their second-straight disappointing season. Given the ace’s expertise when wholesome and the truth that his age and up to date harm historical past seem prone to restrict him to a short-term deal, there’s numerous groups that would moderately be positioned to take an opportunity on the 40-year-old future Corridor of Famer this winter.
