The Rangers announced Friday that right-hander Max Scherzer underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. General manager Chris Young tells reporters that the team and Scherzer tried “multiple conservative treatments in pain management” before resorting to surgery (link via Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Unfortunately, the last-resort option was apparently deemed necessary, and the operation will sideline Scherzer into June or even July.
“After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer himself said, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “During this time, I received a diagnosis of a herniated disc. After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery. Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer.”
It’s obviously unwelcome news for the Rangers, who just gave up Luisangel Acuña to acquire Scherzer and cash from the Mets at last year’s deadline. As part of that deal, the Scherzer agreed to pick up his 2024 player option so that the club knew it was getting him for more than just a rental situation. Now he will miss at least half of the upcoming season that was obviously important to them.
These back problems aren’t coming out of the blue today. Scherzer was removed from Game 3 of the World Series after just three innings due to issue with his back, varyingly described as tightness or spasms. He was removed from the club’s roster prior to Game 4. Though the club was able to secure the title without him, it seems the issue lingered and ultimately required a significant surgery.
The club is now in a very peculiar situation in terms of their rotation, with the first half outlook wildly different than the second. Jacob deGrom underwent Tommy John surgery in June and could potentially return late in the 2024 campaign, depending on how his rehab goes. The club also signed Tyler Mahle just yesterday, who is on a similar timeline to deGrom, having undergone his own TJS procedure in May.
That means the club could welcome each of Scherzer, Mahle and deGrom back to the club over the course of 2024, but none of them will factor into the Opening Day rotation. For now, that leaves them with Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning as healthy options for the start of the season. Options for the back end would include Cody Bradford or Owen White, though they could also pursue external additions in the weeks to come.
This will likely give the club some interesting calculations to make. Last month, general manager Chris Young suggested their spending would likely be more modest this offseason, when compared to the big money they’ve recently thrown around on those aforementioned pitchers as well as Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Although the club just won the World Series and surely banked some extra playoff money, there’s uncertainty around their broadcast revenues due to the ongoing bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, the owner of the Bally Sports network. The club’s competitive balance tax figure is currently at $233MM, per Roster Resource, just barely below next year’s base threshold of $237MM.
Rosenthal took a look at their situation earlier today, noting that the club was still interested in Clayton Kershaw, who underwent shoulder surgery and is yet another pitcher slated for a midseason return. That column came out before the Scherzer news, so it’s unknown if the club would still want to use its limited payroll room to bring in yet another pitcher that will miss the first half of the season.
But Rosenthal also adds that, if ownership becomes more comfortable with adding payroll, they could pivot to a reunion with Jordan Montgomery or one of the top starters on the trading block. Even with Glasnow seemingly headed to the Dodgers, pitchers like Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber or Corbin Burnes could be available for the right price.
If the club plans to stick with their conservative offseason, it may involve taking a risk on having limited pitching depth in the first half while banking on the returns of those injured guys for a strong second half push. But improving that depth might require them to alter their spending plans and/or go into luxury tax territory.
Flags fly forever!!!!!
Oh swell, At this rate the Rangers will have their whole rotation out until the All-Star break.
Yeah, incredible collection of IL residents.
Just score 10 runs/game and you’ll break .500.
Seriously, where is Cole Ragans when you need him?
As bad as the Chapman-Ragans trade could look five years from now, it was necessary to get where the Rangers ultimately got in 2023. As frustrating and volatile as he was, Chapman played a vital role in Texas’ run to the title. Without him, they wouldn’t have gotten there, much less won it.
Had the Rangers signed Ohthani, he probably would have severed his spine this winter.
Simple solution: Sign a pitcher who will get injured by the All Star break. There’s lots of injury prone pitchers in free agency. Shouldn’t be too hard.
Why sign Mahle then clearly they need rotation depth beginning of the year now with Mahle Scherzer DeGrom all out
I think 2024 is Scherzer’s final year on his current contract. I wonder what his plans for 2025 and beyond are given his recent string of injuries.
Mets dodged a bullet.
Like they did with Verlander. Nimmo, Diaz, etc? Lol
Nimmo? WTF are you talking about?
Probably the ridiculous contract the Mets outbid themselves to give him..
Yeah, but they’re still paying a premium price for that bullet.
They actually didn’t dodge anything, they bought the whole case of bullets.
Really really curious at how the younger Acuña turns out.
Makes Mets side of the trade better.
He got a World Series ring and the Mets didn’t.
Keen observations
he wasn’t going to get them one anyway
That’s unfortunate, wishing Max the best and a speedy recovery. That Acuna trade looking even better for the Mets now.
disappointing for the Mets, they’re paying half his salary for him to miss games
Uhhh…strange take 28rings…
Better than paying the full salary, not have gotten prospects, and him not pitching…
Prospect singular. Acuna was the only other player in that deal, and he was bought with the throw-in cash.
Think you missed the point
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No, he didn’t miss the point. He’s responding to a lot of the comments on this section about how the Mets dodged a bullet. They didn’t. They’re coming a significant portion of the load.
@SalaryCapMyth We did dodge a bullet that’s the point you’re missing. Who cares if we are paying 20 million of his salary this upcoming year. We could have been paying all of it and he would be out for half the season. Instead we got a top 100 prospect for him. Stop being a Homer
That’s $31M, not $20, at least for CBT purposes. I don’t think of that as dodging a bullet. I see that as more taking the bullet in your arm instead of the chest! =))
I wonder if his contract is insured? If so, his being on the IL could save them some money.
I doubt they could insure an old man. Or if they did it would cost half of the payback.
Miss games for another team. And they got the prospect and half his salary off the books..
Not really. Mets have $31M factored into their CBT calculations in 2024.
Well, Scherzer is 39 so a back aliment at that age may be the end of his career, cause once you have back problems they never go away.
Its only the end if no team is foolish enough to sign him. That’s not happening. Too many fools.
He won’t be back! Not with his back.
Just stealing money for years!
Yeah, it’s been an injury-marred mess since 2020.
Frankly, he’s not elite when pitching.
It’s not stealing. It’s in his contract.
They oftrn make a big move right before announcing somrthing like this, as they did with Scherzer before announcing Eovaldi’s injury. It makes you wonder why they didn’t get someone ready to start the season, though.
Really hate to hear this. I’ve never known anyone who had their back problems resolved by one surgery. That one surgery always leads to another and another, etc. here’s hoping Scherzer is the exception.
i had neck surgery and was back to work at my desk in 5 weeks
Iron man! MVP of the office!
Sincerely hope it helped.
Speaking from personal experience, I very much doubt he will pitch again. And he certainly will not be back by June.
With absolutely no disrespect intended, I highly doubt you had access to the treatment options and rehab resources a major league baseball player has. It’s not uncommon at all for professional athletes to recover exponentially faster than us peasants.
Fwiw I was a professional athlete at the time.
Damn…
Only 4 capable starters, looks like a kid from Triple-A is gonna get called up.
Cody Bradford made eight starts last year, so you have some internal depth with him and Owen White, who got a cup of coffee in the bigs in 2023.
But I think this necessitates a couple of depth moves. You need some established guys to help you tread water until the reinforcements arrive.
Cody Bradford has been terrible as a starter, but he’s transitioned well in the bullpen.
I prefer Bradford as a reliever than a starter.
He made some good starts. His first start was bad and his last two were bad. Between those, he had a five-start stretch with a 3.32 ERA and 1.338 WHIP over 21.2 innings.
I like that he’s capable of helping in virtually any role. But good teams need internal depth, and Bradford provides that, whether as a starter or reliever.
Well ain’t that a kick in the shorts.
This is creating a really strange situation for the Rangers rotation. This team could have a really good rotation by July, but you have to keep your head above water with the guys you have until then or it won’t matter.
Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney will get another great opportunity to prove their value. Hopefully they’ll repeat last year’s efforts.
I would strongly consider resigning Martin Perez on the cheap just to get us to July. He stays healthy, eats innings and generally isn’t terrible — he’s just consistently and sometimes painfully mediocre.
But we basically need a depth starter or two now.
Agreed until you uttered Martin Perez… noooooo
The Rangers need innings, and Martin Perez is incredibly durable. He also showed last season that he can make a successful transition to the bullpen, which is a bonus when Mahle, deGrom and/or Scherzer return.
And most importantly, he likes Texas and would likely come cheap, which would allow the team to fill one hole while keeping funds available to bolster a bullpen that will probably be heavily taxed in the first half.
Perez wouldn’t be a sexy signing. In fact, that news would likely draw a collective sigh from Rangers fans. But he’d fill a very practical need well.
Michael Lorenzen is still there.
He’d be a solid option at the right price. But Perez’s history with and in Texas makes him a more likely bargain bin buy.
What does “sideline” mean? Can’t throw a baseball until then? Won’t pitch in the Majors before then? Can’t do any physical activity at all until then?
He can’t play in the majors.
Can throw pitches, but no starts.
Still does not answer…so when the “sideline” ends, his “pre-season” begins, which means another month before he can pitch in the Majors, so they are saying August return to Majors?
Time to call Montgomery’s agent or at the very least Stroman or Giolitos agent. Perhaps time to call CWS for Cease, Cleveland for Bieber, or Mil for Burnes.
I don’t think we’ll be playing at that level, and I don’t think we necessarily should be.
We’re blessed to still have two guys in Eovaldi and Gray with legit mid-rotation or better stuff, and deGrom and Mahle are potential difference-makers in the second half (high-risk, high-reward, I know).
Trust your depth with Dunning, Heaney and Bradford for now, and go get a couple of backend innings eaters to bridge the gap to deGrom and Mahle.
You can always reassess at the trade deadline if TJ recoveries aren’t going well, etc. But there’s no need to exhaust all of the gunpowder now. Fix the bullpen and build rotation depth in the immediate future and play the hand your dealt from there.
He Done !!!
And of course Eovaldi hasn’t been the picture of health. This will be a mid to bad rotation for at least three months.
Had the same surgery earlier this year. Very little to no downtime. He should be ready for ST.
What was the velocity on your fastball?
76.4
Well, he deferred surgery as long as he could
Ok so I haven’t started drinking yet, so bear with me…
Phillies sign Yamamoto and deal T.Walker to Texas! Whew got that off my chest, now I can have my beverage of choice and “dream a little dream”…..
Chris Young might have to eat some innings this year.
Finally some good off-season news for the Mets!
Thats a crappy way to look at this ..or any trade..karma is real..gl with that
Time to retire Max
Max $$
2024 Rangers $23M, Mets $20M, Nationals $15M
2025-2028 Nationals $15M per year
$118M Pension Bonus for the now retired but not officially retired Max.
Really weird when fans are always trying to retire players.
@creature do you really think Max will pitch again?
Yes I do.
But getting a healthy Scherzer, DeGrom and Mahle for the stretch run and playoffs? Yikes. Back to back definitely within reach for the Rangers.
Can’t wait to hear this turd try to blame it on the Dave Roberts
Call Boras about Montgomery. Scherzer is gone after this year anyway.
Going through the same thing myself. Sciatica can be pretty debilitating. Looking to get a microdiscectomy ASAP.
Trading Max was the best move the Mets could make last season. The trade is looking even better now. Granted flags fly forever but IMO Max didn’t do much to help Texas win the Series. He pitched decent the first few starts then predictably he gets hurt, became a distraction, and got bombed in the playoffs. It’s been a great run but it’s over for Max.
He wasn’t a distraction at all. If anything, his continued presence during his injury helped the Rangers’ young pitchers down the stretch. And he gutted out three scoreless innings in a pivotal World Series game that likely turned the tide in that series.
Mets fans hatred for Max Scherzer is odd.
Looks like the Rangers will have to buy more players. Luckily they have a good farm system, but they sure have bought most of their current talent.
I feel like it’s going to be a tough year for the Rangers in 2024. Maybe I’m just a Teximist.
Will the sign snell now. And man they will have one heck of a staff when all is healthy
Matt gegrom. Snell. Not a bad 3
Out 6 months for a discetomy? Sounds like he had a lumbar fusion
A better deal for the Mets than it seemed at first, and it wasn’t a bad deal to begin with.
Did Max agree to the surgery only if he was given veto power over future hospital decisions the way the phony aging sellout ohtani has with the Dodgers?
He was a distraction so much written on his health and his effectiveness. But if you want to give Scherzer credit for 3 innings when Jon Gray was the real hero. If Gray doesn’t shut Arizona down Texas would have been in trouble. Now your down a starter who knew he was hurt anyway. Scherzer knew Gray and Dunning where pitching well yet he wanted the ball.And you know hurt or not he’s gonna want a new deal. That should be fun. What I don’t understand is Texas fans appreciation for a guy who didn’t do much for you. Thank Jon Gray not Max Scherzer.
Cause of back problems: Holding Upton of weight while lying on back.
Kate Upton is quite heavy. That would make sense. The only problem with that logic is Justin Verlander is married to her, not Max.
No pain no gain. Back surgery must suck. Just have to do what you have to do to get back on your pitching hill.
Explains his decline.
Doctor says I need a backiotomy.
Is this not a picture of Liam Hendriks? Didn’t see his name mentioned.
Scherzer should’ve taken care of this a month ago.
Would’ve saved me from drafting him in about 3 NFBC leagues.
Money well spent a few years ago by the team who was stupid enough to sign him. SMH. Kudos though to his agent for taking advantage of the Mets
Texas necesita otro buen pitcher y un buen cerrador pero que esten sanos
The Rangers traded their #1 prospect first a herniated disc.
Acuna wasn’t the Rangers’ No. 1 prospect. Evan Carter and Brock Porter were both ahead of him.
And Wyatt Langford and Sebastian Walcott would also be currently if he was still in Texas.
Acuna is a good prospect. But the Rangers won’t likely miss him with a major league middle infield that’s set in concrete and Ezequiel Duran, Justin Foscue and Walcott all still in the organization.
Sorry, for a herniated disc.
Snell, Montgomery, Burnes, Stroman, Yamamoto.
One of those and in that order. Then Hader or Clase.
They don’t have the money for a top FA. Look for filler in FA, or a trade.
They certainly do.
His doctor said he needed a backiotomy.
That’s not a real thing.
@differentbears
I believe the technical term is “a lower backiotomy.”
—fwiw, with a team like the Rangers that’s likely to return to the postseason, a rested, healthy Max coming back, say, after the All-Star break could be a real boon.
He gets a two month regular season tune up, then rears back in the postseason. The Dodgers should be aiming for something like this with Glasnow rather than waste his 2 WAR contributions in April and May.
Lousy to hear of injury. Worse on Max than Rangers. Gives TX GM something fun to rectify with current resources, both cash and prospects.
He’ll put in the hard work to get back on the mound. Perhaps he’ll flip the script and be at full strength for the 2024 postseason.
Thank god the Mets are paying almost half of his salary. Even with the Mets picking up a huge chunk, the Rangers will have $70 million on the shelf in deGrom, Scherzer, and Mahle to start the season.
“After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse. During this time, I received a diagnosis of a herniated disc.”
—-I’m skeptical. He didn’t get the herniated disk on the ride to Florida. When did he know, really?
Btw, anyone skewering the Mets for signing Scherzer, he’s put up 8.6 bWAR (or whatever stats you want to use) so far in two seasons, for $86.6m. That’s a little worse than the rough average of $$$ per FA WAR that gets paid out by all 30 teams, and for above average pitching the $ tend to be higher per win since that pitching is so difficult to come by.
The problem was that the Mets didn’t compensate for the problems bound to occur when you sign an old, very good pitcher, namely that he’ll either break down towards the end of the season or he’ll be less effective there. Blaming Scherzer for his collapse towards the end of their 2022 season is like kicking your 1980 Civic for your not having AAA paid up, when it fails to make it all the way across the desert.