The Texas Rangers’ veteran right-hand pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to make his 2024 MLB season debut on Sunday. Scherzer will start in the third game of the ongoing series against the Kansas City Royals.
Scherzer had back surgery in the offseason and then suffered a setback in his return to action due to thumb soreness. The issues now seem to be in the past for the three-time Cy Young winner as he successfully completed his rehab assignment with Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate Round Rock.
“I’ve been looking to get out here for the past six weeks,” Scherzer told reporters on Saturday. “I can’t wait. Just chomping at the bit to get out there.”
Scherzer was actually supposed to make his start on Saturday but delayed it for one day as a precautionary measure. Despite this, the Rangers’ manager, Bruce Bochy, doesn’t intend to put a pitch limit on his ace.
“We’ll watch the game and see how he feels every inning,” Bochy said. “He’s been stretched out. We’re not going to put a limit on him.”
The Rangers hope Scherzer’s return will help them make a run in the second part of the campaign after struggling so far in 2024. The reigning World Series champions currently sit third in AL West with a 35-40 record and 7.5 games behind the leading Seattle Mariners.
