The Texas Rangers could get their ace Max Scherzer back for the playoffs after all. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Scherzer said that he is encouraged by his progress and described his latest bullpen session as “pain free”.
Scherzer suffered a right shoulder sprain in early September and hasn’t pitched since. The Rangers believed at the time that the 39-year-old would not return to action unless they made a deep playoff run.
However, Scherzer seems to believe that he can beat the odds.
“Last week was a light bullpen, this one was for real,” Scherzer told reporters. “I was able to step on it more. And it was pain free.”
Scherzer joined the Rangers from the New York Mets ahead of the trade deadline, with Texas believing he can solidify their status as a World Series contender. He had a 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts. Overall in 2023, the three-time Cy Young Award-winner is 13-7 with a 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts.
The Rangers took care of the business in the NL wild-card series, sweeping the Texas Rangers. They will now face the Baltimore Orioles in the NL Divisional Series. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday.
