11:40am: Scherzer indeed sustained an oblique injury, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, although as Heyman points out, even Grade 1 oblique strains can sideline players for upwards of a month. Of course, every injury is different, and there are certainly instances of players returning far sooner than that. The Mets figure to have a formal announcement on Scherzer’s status at some point today.
8:00am: Mets ace Max Scherzer pulled himself from last night’s game midway through a sixth-inning at-bat against Albert Pujols (video link). After throwing a 2-2 slider to Pujols, Scherzer immediately motioned to the dugout that he was done, calling for a trainer and promptly exiting the game. The Mets announced that Scherzer was dealing with discomfort in his left side, and Scherzer told reporters after the contest that he’d felt tightness in his side throughout the day and felt a “zing” during the Pujols at-bat (video link). “I just knew I was done,” said Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young winner added that he doesn’t believe the injury to be a “major strain.”
That’ll be determined this morning, it seems, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes that Scherzer is headed for an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. While Scherzer himself downplayed the potential severity, it’s obviously a point of concern that he both pulled himself from the game and is now undergoing a round of imaging to determine whether a trip to the injured list will be necessary.
The 37-year-old right-hander inked a record-setting three-year, $130MM contract with the Mets over the winter, making him the highest paid player (on an annual basis) in Major League history. Thus far, Scherzer has been the co-ace the Mets hoped to be acquiring when doling out that deal, pitching 49 2/3 innings of 2.54 ERA ball with a 30.6% strikeout rate against a 5.7% walk rate. He’s been a major reason that the Mets’ rotation, even without Jacob deGrom, ranks fifth in the Majors in ERA and second in FIP. Scherzer and his rotation-mates have also combined for the seventh-highest strikeout rate and the lowest walk rate of any starting staff in the big leagues.
At present, the Mets are the only team in the NL East with a winning record, and at 25-14 they hold a healthy six-game lead over the second-place Phillies. That said, even a brief absence for Scherzer, placing him on the shelf alongside deGrom and righty Tylor Megill (biceps inflammation), would be a notable blow. The Mets do have a deep staff that could potentially weather that trio of rotation injuries in the short-term, with lefty David Peterson presumably serving as the next man in line if Scherzer indeed misses time. Still, losing their $76.83MM one-two deGrom/Scherzer punch to the injured list before the pair is ever even healthy enough to take the mound on consecutive days isn’t a scenario the Mets hoped to face.
The Mets announced earlier this week that an MRI on deGrom, who has yet to pitch in 2022 due to a stress reaction in his right scapula, showed “continued healing.” He’s working through a throwing program and currently building up the distance from which he throws and the intensity level, but there’s no clear timetable for him to get back onto the mound and embark on a minor league rehab assignment. If Scherzer were to join deGrom and Megill on the IL, the Mets’ rotation would likely consist of Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Trevor Williams and the aforementioned Peterson.
Nothing like having 80 million sitting on the IL
Its probably just a tumor.
It’s not a toomah.
Get to da choppa!
Hahaha, you guys exist on a totally different plain. Don’t stop.
‘At least it’s not a gra, gra, groin injury’. Rapping by Sam Malone
Arnold disagrees. Lol
That’s like $8m to many teams. The Mets have infinite money.
At least Max didn’t drop his pants on the way out…
Too bad….
Yikes…
It’s alright Mets fans are very reasonable and understanding
Yep and Phillies fans are very patient with slumps and Dodger fans are always the first ones there and the last ones to leave.
Phillies have been in a slump for 11 years.
I think they will eventually put together a run this year. There’s too much talent on the roster for them to be hovering around .500. Still think they’ll eventually get to around 85 wins.
The Phillies, overpaid underachievers.
Anyone want to argue ?
Love it, Dodger fans first ones there and Last ones to leave !!
They are the most bandwagon fans in MLB, besides that they know nothing about baseball. They have to have the scoreboard to tell them when to cheer.
He knew he was done but doesn’t believe the injury to be a “major strain” sounds like a contradiction.
Showalter’s terse reaction was also concerning. As if he was already planning for an extended absence by Scherzer.
That’s your assumption? So you think a pitcher of his magnitude that knows his body better then anyone else could also just be erring on the side of caution? It’s alarming of course but to sit there and assume it’s going to be an extended time on the IL is again a Assumption. You’re not a doctor neither am I let’s wait and see what the MRI says.
You’re being assumptive on my assumptions.
This is not out of character with Scherzer. He knows his body well. I wish all players would be cautious in an effort to avoid serious injury. It was more Showalter’s response that gave me pause. I’m a longtime Showalter watcher. When he starts asking questions back to the reporter, it’s his way of saying I have no idea at this time.
Obliques are tricky and extra problematic on pitchers. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s simply given a few days off, or if the MRI shows a grade 1 strain, and he’s out for the next month.
I don’t have to wait for the MRI to have thoughts. This is a baseball comment section!
This is a 6-12 week injury for a pitcher depending on the severity. The MRI will condense the timeline to within a week or two.
LD99, Sounds like your assumption was spot on.
In retrospect, the OP was correct on his initial read. Showalter was showing concern. He suspected oblique, and an oblique injury for a pitcher is not a quick recovery.
Missing 3 starters and they still have a pretty good rotation left.
Mets fans cannot be too concerned as long as de groom and scherzer can come back… if they lose either or both for the year then panic would have to set in.
The rotation is decent enough to keep them afloat in the East but without those two it’s not playoff caliber.
Let’s just hope de bride doesn’t get hurt. Would hate to see de groom and de bride on the IL at the same time
As I understand stress reactions(very little):
De groom may need some de bride (ment) if that stress reaction remains inflamed.
Physiopedia has a good article for anyone curious about what’s going in a bone stress reaction. Seems like it’s been a type of injury we’ve heard about more in the last few years.
Dahl’s injury was in his ribs-but his career seemed to take a different turn after he struggled with a rib stress injury.
Allowing enough time for bone to remodel and repair properly seems like a challenge for any pro athlete.
Pardon the de Grom tangent on a Scherzer article.
That’s nothing! Detroit is down 6 starters, and pitching has been carrying the team. (Tho not well enough to make up for the dismal hitting).
Amazing what an infusion of a boatload of money will do for rotation depth. It’s like that one year when the Dodgers were paying 10 different starting pitchers over $10 million dollars each for that season. Some teams have a much larger margin for error and injury whether they want to admit it or not.
Max??? maybe he should change his name to “Minimum” since that is about all the Mets will get out of him this season.
He’s tied for the league league in starts and wins, 8th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, 4th in Ks/9, 9th in ERA+, etc. Now he exits a start early and while we still don’t have any info on the injury, dopes like you are out with the sharpened knives to rip him. Yanks are the best team in baseball, so why even waste your time like this? Enjoy your own team’s success, buddy.
Get well soon!
Brace yourselves, trolls are coming…
He strained his side reaching for his fat wallet.
Max has been one of the best pitchers in the majors for several seasons now. I hope he recovers well and it’s nothing major, as the author noted. Be nice for him to come back soon, especially with the Mets set up for success this year.
Get well soon, Max.
Love, Max’s mom
Whoa, you’re really Max’s mom? Can you give him our best, please?
Tell him the MLBTR Professional Commenters wish him well & we are doing a group coloring picture for him.
I agree Clip. Not much of a Mets fan, but like Max a lot. Great future HoFer, and it would be sad to see him out for an extended length of time.
His age gives me pause though. I don’t subscribe to the theory that older players are more susceptible to injury, but I do believe when an older player gets injured the re-coop time is longer. Hope it doesn’t.
Yeah, very true. You get it, Tab. Great players are simply fun to watch. They make the game great. They add so much value. And, we don’t know when an injury will be insurmountable. Not implying oblique is that, but he will lose valuable time, during a winning season, & I enjoy good baseball, like you.
At least him mom had the courtesy to stop by, huh?
Scherzer leading by example all the time – if you feel something, say something, get yourself out of the game. So many players try to ‘play through the pain’ and cause long term injury that could have been prevented. No matter what the injury is, good that he got out of the game. Teams that win have a ‘next man up’ culture. Peterson, Williams etc, your time to keep contributing
Agreed. Case in point, Orioles John Means felt something in his elbow the start prior to his last start. He tried to play through it. Mistake. When he finally did stop, UCL tear was 90%. Ouch!
@C Yards, true, but in Means case it likely didn’t matter. The UCL likely was heading toward a tear.
Exactly. The Mets are on a playoffs trajectory. If he has to miss a start, so be it. Better to have him available and healthy in September. I’d wish more pitchers would do this.
In fairness they have often been on a “playoffs trajectory” and it usually ends with them choking.
Better to choke later than to be drowning straight out of the gate.
It’s doubtful that he only misses a start. Obliques almost always cost a guy numerous starts, If it’s only 4 starts, the Mets will be lucky.
@Wampum….. Not take away from your well made point, but “if you feel something, say something,” has a great Groucho Marx-type 2nd line coming.
Mets, outside of a power/slugging shortage, are doing well offensively. IE. getting on base + scoring runs. With the $80 mil duo sidelined, should still be able to lead division comfortably? For now, maybe trade for durable innings eater vet… stellar ERA not required … until the duo or part of is healthy.
@C Yards Jeff That power/slugging shortage is a league-wide issue, and I actually think the Mets are benefiting. Teams that invested in power hitters didn’t expect the deadball. The Mets are a well-rounded team, so while it’s frustrating that Alonso is crushing balls that turn into pop-ups and fly-ball outs, the deadball is actually making their roster construction look even better.
@VonPurpleHays Areed,to an extent. They are an MLB healthy top 5 to 10 team in key run producing offensive categories but not in HR and slugging.
The “dead ball” is vastly overblown. There is some impact, mostly the result of humidors now being in all 30 stadiums not some sort of conspiracy, but it’s a few feet of distance only. Most of the power shortage is just the normal stuff. A combination of cold weather and pitchers (especially relievers) overwhelming hitters with velo, spin and break. The balance between hitters and pitchers is broken, as it has been before and it will be fixed artificially, as it was before.
Pitchers are definitely ahead of hitters. I agree there, but I mean there is a clear difference in the way the ball is carrying this year. Players have been talking about it. Announcers are getting fooled on fly outs. It’s obvious. To your point though, this may be more of an effect by the humidors or the new baseballs. It may not be because they’re “dead balls” it’s just that they aren’t “juiced” as they were in previous years.
It’s purely anecdotal, but I’ve noticed a lot players looking shocked when the ball they thought they’d crushed gets caught short of the wall. I think it might be a combination of a less lively ball, and the humidors having a bigger impact than MLB expected.
@VonPurpleHayes agree. 2019 made a lot of hitters believe they were sluggers and accelerated the launch angle movement. Case in point Jeff McNeil. He went homer happy in the 2nd half of 2019 and it has taken him two years to recover his form. Lindor still believes he is a 35 home run per year player.
Another key to the Mets early success can be attributed to Eric Chavez their new hitting coach. 95 and a walk, that is, hit the ball with an exit velocity 95 and above or walk is the new mantra. They are scoring runs despite have a middle of the pack slugging pct, yet they are near the top in OBP and fewest strikeouts. I’ve been surprised at how often they will bring 5-8 players to the plate in an inning this year.
That’s still a pretty good rotation even with the injuries!
The Mets are doing things different these days. They’re clearly trying to get a head start on their eventual late summer collapse. Very proactive.
Cool name
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND KINDNESS:)
Not Scher he will pitch again, for the Muts this season
You don’t need a comma..
Grammarly disagrees with you.
You don’t need two periods.
Everything is fine in Mets land. Mets playing really well against all opponents. They’re deep with talent. Although the late-season collapses are in the heads of every fan, advanced metrics show that this Mets team is significantly better than last year’s team. They aren’t just beating up on weak opponents, they’re beating up on everyone they play (except Seattle). Nothing can possibly go…oh no.
Kidding aside, I hope Max will be okay. Normally I wouldn’t be concerned, but at his age every injury is troubling. I think the Mets will be fine by the way. This team has fight and a little bit of magic.
Too bad they didn’t get Paddock for more depth.
Oh, wait…
He is 100% going to have a rib removed.
I wonder if he has a rib removed what he will name the new woman?
Lorraine
That fat wallet probably kept pinching a nerve in his ass on each delivery.
I would take that kind of nerve pinching any day….
He’s been maxed out!
Mets gonna Mets
Just for clarification, it was a 1-1 count when Scherzer came out of the game and not 2-2. I was watching it live and remember it specifically because Gary said that it’s Ottavino’s batter and not Scherzer at this count 1-1.
Hopefully the MRI goes well and Scherzer doesn’t miss too much time. LGM!!!
An oblique injury for someone who throws as hard as Max is tough..don’t be surprised if it’s longer than a month..
It’s better to hear the word oblique than to hear shoulder discomfort.
I’ve been a super fan of MLB since 30 years, but I’m sick of the constant disappointment of watching multiple super stars… the big hitters… the Aces… and the big prospects, go down every year with long term injuries (it’s to frequent and seems like it’s happening more and more every year) sick of watching the players that make the game fun go down with major injuries
I’m sick of watching the commissioner screw up the game with a lot of things, but especially allowing a runner on 2nd base in extra innings, might as well give the players a participation trophy while you’re at it…. Also Watching a player hit a solo HR in April and start dancing in the dugout, putting on a jacket, and overdoing it with a celebration is stupid.. give a handshake – a high five and call it a day..the best players in the world didn’t do that crap 20 years ago – 40 years ago – or 80 years ago.. have fun and celebrate, but be cool.. don’t dance
I didn’t read all the comments so this may have been said, but the Mets will be tough in the post-season if deGrom and Max are healthy and rested due to time off in the first half of the season. Admittedly a lot of speculation, but certainly one possibility.
We’ll see how bottomless the money pit is with the Mets. Ate Canó. 80 mil in arms on IL, probably trade for Bauer lol not too mention Lindor (.230 hitter into third season ) McCann. Lotta bad contracts
Lindor- OPS+ of 118, 1.1 WAR about a quarter of the way into the season… why use batting average? Lindor is having a pretty good season. The contract is going to be regretted very soon, yes, but batting average alone reflects none of that