Rangers Activate Max Scherzer

TODAY: The Rangers officially activated Scherzer from the 60-day injured list this morning. Right-hander Yerry Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

June 22: Max Scherzer’s 2024 debut date has now been set, as the future Hall-of-Famer told reporters (including MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry) that he will be activated from the 60-day injured list tomorrow to start the Rangers’ game against the Royals.  It will mark Scherzer’s first action in a big league contest since he pitched three scoreless innings in Game 3 of last year’s World Series.

Last December, the 39-year-old underwent surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, and the initial timeline indicated Scherzer would be out of action until June or July.  As it happened, Scherzer looked to be on pace to handily beat that projection and was seemingly close to returning by mid-May before a nerve problem in his thumb extended his time on the IL.  Texas had optimistically put Scherzer on only the 15-day IL to begin the season, but eventually shifted him to the 60-day once it became clear he wouldn’t be back by the end of May.

However, all systems are now go for the veteran righty to make his return.  Scherzer has made two Triple-A starts during his most recent rehab assignment, including a 79-pitch, 4 2/3 inning effort last Saturday.  Texas manager Bruce Bochy told Landry and other reporters that Scherzer wouldn’t be on a specific pitch count in Sunday’s game, though it stands to reason that the club might somewhat try to ease Scherzer back into action.

With Scherzer nearing reinstatement from the 60-day IL, the Rangers are a step closer to finally having their first-choice rotation.  Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle could both make their own returns from Tommy John surgery rehab around the start of August, while Cody Bradford continues to recover from a stress fracture in his rib.  On paper the Rangers might have too many rotation options if absolutely everyone is healthy, yet that scenario is probably unlikely given how many health issues Texas has had to navigate over the last year.

Bochy said that Scherzer will take Dane Dunning’s spot in the rotation, moving Dunning back to relief work.  Dunning began 2023 in the bullpen but soon resumed his usual starting role while filling in for various injured starters, primarily deGrom.  Working solely as a starter in 2024, Dunning has a 4.73 ERA over 59 innings.