Future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer is likely done for the year after suffering a shoulder injury, ESPN’s Jeff Passan announced on Twitter.
Right-hander Max Scherzer is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a strained teres major — a muscle that connects the scapula to the humerus. Scherzer is, Texas GM Chris Young told reporters, “unlikely” to pitch in the playoffs.
Brutal news for the Rangers.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 13, 2023
Scherzer, who the Texas Rangers acquired from the New York Mets at the MLB’s August trade deadline, strained his teres major muscle, Passan reported. The injury will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season and he is “unlikely” to pitch in the playoffs either, Rangers General Manager Chris Young said.
The Rangers gave up top prospect Luisangel Acuña, brother of generational talent Ronald Acuña Jr., to acquire Scherzer from the Mets, the New York Post reported.
They had hoped his veteran presence would bolster a team the Rangers spent big money on during the offseason. After spending a combined $500 million on just two players in 2021, the Rangers followed up with a second spending spree in 2022, headlined by marquee talent pitcher Jacob deGrom.
The Rangers weren’t done there though. After losing deGrom for the year to injury, the team pivoted to the trade market where they acquired a deluge of talent. Besides picking up Scherzer, the Rangers also added lefty Jordan Montgomery and closer Aroldis Chapman, among others.
Despite spending an impressive pile of cash and prospects to build their team, the Rangers sit just a half game above rivals the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays as the three teams jockey for two final playoff spots. (RELATED: Alex Rodriguez Snitched On Other MLB Superstars Who Were Using Steroids, Bombshell Documents Show: REPORT)
The Rangers still have hope, as they also only sit one game back of the Houston Astros for the AL West Division title. But they’ll have a tough time replacing the veteran Scherzer, who won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals.