Scherzer 'just not ready' to resume rehab assignment
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CLEVELAND -- A continually trying season for Rangers starter Max Scherzer just got more difficult.
The 40-year-old right-hander landed on the injured list for the second time this season on Aug. 2 with right shoulder fatigue. He was initially scheduled to begin another rehab assignment on Aug. 23 with Double-A Frisco, though the Rangers announced he was scratched the night before.
Scherzer threw three bullpens during the Rangers’ last homestand, most recently on Tuesday, and initially came out of all of those as good as possible. Manager Bruce Bochy theorized that Scherzer could have rejoined the Rangers’ rotation as soon as the White Sox series in Chicago next week.
Now, Scherzer’s return is unknown.
“The best I can tell you is that he’s just not ready,” Bochy said prior to the opener of a three-game set against Cleveland on Friday at Progressive Field. “Just not quite there yet. I can’t tell you when right now, he’ll let us know and we’ll continue his rehab. There has to be some concern there. And man, I hope, hope this thing clears up, and he gets back out there.
“And I'm disappointed for him that he's had to push his start back, because I know he wants to pitch in the worst way.”
Scherzer opened the 2024 season on the IL as he recovered from offseason back surgery. Initially, he was set for an early return in mid-May before he was shut down due to a nerve issue shortly after making one rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock in April.
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Scherzer was activated on June 23 and threw a total of 39 1/3 innings in eight starts. His longest outing was 6 2/3 innings against the Angels on July 9, but he had a number of shortened starts due to various fatigue issues.
Immediately after his last start in St. Louis on July 30, when he went just four innings, Scherzer said he did not expect to need a stint on the injured list, but the Rangers announced ahead of the following homestand that he would need one.
Scherzer has been working back since then, and seemingly built up strength, before this recent scratch.