It was exactly a month ago today that Max Scherzer’s season seemed to be over, when Rangers GM Chris Young told reporters that Scherzer was “unlikely” to be part of any postseason play due to a teres major strain. However, Scherzer almost immediately started some level of light baseball activity, and has steadily ramped up his work to the point that he now looks to be on the verge of joining the Rangers for the start of the AL Championship Series.
Scherzer threw a 68-pitch simulated game on Wednesday, and told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) today that he threw another bullpen session and participated in fielding drills. With all of this regular workload complete, Scherzer feels “I’ve pressed all the buttons I can. I’m ready to go….I feel normal. That’s all I can say. All I can do is describe what I feel like and if I have an issue, I have to let them know. But my arm feels fresher.”
The final verdict won’t come until Sunday when the Rangers officially submit their ALCS roster in advance of Game 1 against the Astros. But, all signs point to Scherzer being in the mix, making for quite a boost for the Rangers in getting a future Hall-of-Famer added to the pitching staff. Jordan Montgomery is the announced Game 1 starter, Nathan Eovaldi will very likely start Game 2, and Grant figures any of Scherzer, Andrew Heaney, or Dane Dunning could start Game 3.
It stands to reason that Scherzer might be face a relatively quick hook if he does start, to keep him from overtaxing his arm. In that scenario, Scherzer could be part of a piggyback situation with Heaney, Dunning, or possibly Martin Perez. Jon Gray is another possible X-factor for the series, as the righty has been working his way back from forearm tightness and could also be included on the ALCS roster. The pitching plans will likely also hinge on how things play out for Texas in the first two games of the series, so the official Game 3 starter might not be known until after Game 2 is over on Monday.
Scherzer posted a 3.77 ERA over 152 2/3 innings with the Mets and Rangers during the regular season, which stands as one of the more unusual seasons of the ace’s 16-year MLB career. A midseason trade surely didn’t seem on the radar for Scherzer on a Mets team that won 101 games last year, but after New York stumbled during the first half, the Mets opted to move multiple veterans at the trade deadline, including Scherzer to Texas in a blockbuster deal.
Scherzer/Verlander Game 4
Boy now
This should help, but Houston is probably still a favorite. I still have hope, though. Based on spring training, you usually add 15 pitches per start when building up, so I think the 83 should be enough for 5-6 innings. I’m not getting why MLB Network says he can probably only go 2-3. 68 pitches alone would be more than that many innings. Couldn’t he just skip a few warmup pitches if that’s the difference?
Yes, why warm up at all? Let him go in cold, so he can easily do 150 pitches.
(I hope your comment was as sarcastic as mine)
Note the word few (half). I was a pitcher in youth baseball some years ago. I’m not sure all those are needed tbh.
Hopefully, we see Rangers/D-Backs. Worse case, Houston/D-Backs.
You know it’s going to be Astros / Philly. Realistically that’s what it’ll be. I hope not but still
Scherzer vs. Verlander. Both started the season as teammates, both were previously teammates, and now both are against each other on the biggest stage of the game. Gotta love it.
Logically, this is great news for the Rangers.
Emotionally?
Scherzer has ruined and almost ruined a few elimination games for the Nats alone. Always a nail biter when he gets the call in the fall.
His egos as big as the color pallets in his eyes. He’s getting rocked for sure.
Absolutely right.
“Color pallets”
I love it when some insecure, internet fool tries to make a dig at someone and fails miserably.
Max Scherzer did well in the 2019 WS. He won game 1 then started game 7 and pitched well.
Dug a hole the Nats shouldn’t have gotten out of in the 2019 wildcard.
2017 NLDS game five.
World Series he got out dueled by Greinke in Game 7, but yeah, that was a good performance and he rose to the occasion in that series on the whole.
Scherzer has ruined and almost ruined a few elimination games for the Nats alone.
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8 playoff starts for the Nats. In the 8 starts, he was 3-1 with an ERA of 2.66, and a 59/20 K/W, and 7 HRs.
Maybe we have a different definition of “nail biter”.
Those are great numbers, but one thing to consider in general (not in his case, as he was clutch) is that many guys can be dominant but choke in clutch moments. See Jose LeClerc, who was 4 for 9 in save situations this year and had an ERA under 3. His career ERA+ is 155. However, he has been -0.8 WPA this year and only has a career WPA of 1.6. Win Probability Added (WPA) is also something, especially in the playoffs.
You realize he lost us a game five by himself and almost flushed our World Series run in the first inning of a wild card game?
You need to get the numbers in context.
I’m not saying he’s irredeemably awful. I’m saying he almost blew (and blew) a few crucial games.
During the WS run, the Nats were 6-0 in his appearances, and his ERA was 2.40.
4 ER 3.1 IP
Chill. I know your team is probably doing badly right now, but there is no need to be a nuisance with this nonsense.
yeah, none of that from you sir.
4 ER and 3.1 IP is better than Kershaw in the playoffs.
Was I not right about the 4ER in 3 Innings. Should have taken it to Vegas. Damn I’m good.
Stay far away from Martin Perez, unless, of course, you want to play homerun derby.
I cannot like this enough times. He seems to confuse 0-2 counts with 3-0 counts quite a bit. He is below average as a pitcher and intellectually way way below average.
He was terrible on the Red Sox. Literally lost his job as a starter.
His ERA+ with the RS was 102.
Martin Perez’ problem is BBS. If he’s not wild, he’s a good pitcher. You don’t know what you’re going to get.
That if must be very rare. He was great in 2022 but that was an anomaly. Very rarely has he been good.
When did Chris Young the outfielder steal the GM job from Chris Young the pitcher???
When Texas decided they actually wanted a smart man running the team
Eovaldi is the only one with a chance to beat Verlander.
I’d say he’s 80% at best. And likely will be that way until he’s in Cooperstown.
Awesome to see we have Texas medical staff commenting on here.
I’m rooting Bochy. Was hoping they’d do well since spring. If only I had put some money on Texas, but still to be determined. I was also hoping Max would face Verlander. What a showdown. Maybe later in the series, but Monty is going game one. Let’s Go Rangers. Houston Sucks.
That already happened, with a predictable outcome: the overrate Scherzer got rocked like a baby. I’d rather see a series win than help ESPN’s trashy site boost their ratings.
Scherzer is a dog and if anything it’s great to have competitive spirit like his going into the ALCS
He is. He’s a psychopath too. Definitely a guy you want on the mound if he’s ready. I remember watching him before his playoff start last year, he was pacing back and forth in the dugout with a crazy look on his face. Hopefully for the Rangers, he has a better outing than he did against the Pads. Good luck against the Astros, this Met fan is rooting for you guys.
All that pacing around and he got rocked
Wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t there.
Yeah hes “Ready to Go” blow a big game. When you need a win the most, Scherzer faulters almost as bad as Kershaw
When you need a win the most, Scherzer faulters almost as bad as Kershaw
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7-7 with a 3.58.
Just because he didn’t know it’s falters, not faulters, doesn’t mean you need to repeat it.
It’s a quote.
The Rangers could use a reliever for the first few (2-3) games of the ALCS, and then activate Scherzer for Game 3 or 4 and de-activate that reliever. They lose the reliever for the next round / World Series, however.
Scherzer is going to get lit-up by the Astros. Still, I go Rangers & Phillies in the Series. Phillies in six. Nice to see the NLCS teams are both run by ex-Sox leaders while Boston is being told “no thanks” in their search for new leadership. Great choices out of Fenway.
I’d love to see an opening day rematch in the World Series. I hate the Diamondbacks because they got swept by Houston and took out their 5 best hitters the last game of the season vs Houston to basically throw the game and hand Houston the AL West.
I’m thinking Pittsburgh should replace Houston, since they took 2 out of 3 from them this year, and as Seager Bauer has made very clear, the better team is the one who won an incredibly short series.
I mean, let’s be honest here. Houston couldn’t compete with Pittsburgh.
It should be interesting when Dusty tequests a glove check.
They should think about him in long relief. If you start the game with him, and he has to leave after 2 innings, it wrecks your BP. There should be 1-2 games where you want an early BP appearance.
If he’s on the ALCS roster I’m sure he’ll be out there for 5+ innings unless he gets rocked. The narrative of him having a limit to his pitch count doesn’t seem to be true based on his and bochy’s comments.
Anyone else sick of hearing about him?
When using “but” to start a sentence, it should not have a comma after it.