Scherzer's return set for Wednesday's twin-bill nightcap

DETROIT -- For the better part of 20 minutes on Tuesday evening, Brandon Nimmo stood in a blue hooded sweatshirt signing autographs, taking selfies, and chatting up a line of several dozen Mets fans near the visiting dugout. For most of them, it was the closest thing to baseball that they’ve seen in recent days.

In what’s becoming a soggy trend, the Mets had their game postponed due to rain for the third time in four days. The Mets and Tigers waited out a delay of more than an hour at Comerica Park before deciding to push the game to Wednesday.

The teams are now scheduled to play a split doubleheader on Wednesday at 1:40 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. ET, with Joey Lucchesi and Max Scherzer starting in that order.

Fans holding tickets for Tuesday’s rainout can use them for the 1:40 p.m. game on Wednesday or exchange them for another Tigers home game within the next 12 months, excluding the 2024 home opener.

The rainout continued what has been a disjointed recent schedule for the Mets, who played a rain-shortened, five-inning game against the Braves on Friday, were washed out Saturday and Sunday at Citi Field, then played a doubleheader on Monday before flying to Detroit.

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The Mets arrived to more rain, more wind and even colder temperatures than what they experienced in Queens.

Thankfully for both teams, a reprieve is in sight. Wednesday’s forecast appears considerably more pleasant, with some early rain giving way to drier skies in the afternoon.

With better weather will come a long-awaited return for Scherzer, whose 10-game sticky stuff suspension has lasted 13 calendar days in large part because of the rain. Scherzer, who will pitch at Comerica Park for the second time as a visitor after playing for the Tigers from 2010-14, offered notes of frustration about his lingering suspension, but gladness that the episode is now in his past.

“I think he’s looking forward to getting back with the team and contributing more than anything,” manager Buck Showalter said. “That’s behind him. It is what it is. We all have an opinion on it. I think everybody’s looking forward to getting it behind us and having him pitch.”

One benefit to the suspension is that it gave Scherzer time to heal his achy back, which had been bothering him in early April. Calling it “an ailment, not an injury," Scherzer said he now feels his back is “in the right spot” as he prepares to face his old team.

“I have a lot of great memories here,” Scherzer said. “The five years I was here were arguably the best five years in recent history for the Tigers. To be a part of that run was awesome. We had such great teams, great players. This is where I developed.

“I really came into my own here. To reflect upon it, it was a huge five years of my career.”