Max Scherzer was lit up in his last start for the Rangers, and on Tuesday, he had to be taken out after 5 ? innings due to an injury.?
It was a sequence of events in the sixth inning that seemed to lead to discomfort, which was determined to be right triceps, for the former Mets pitcher during his start against the Blue Jays, a 6-3 win for Texas.
Outfielder George Springer hit a bouncing comebacker right to Scherzer that forced the hurler to distort his body to try and get out of the way.
Then, on the next pitch with Bo Bichette at the plate, Scherzer appeared to grimace on a follow-through.
Scherzer attempted to throw some warmup pitches, but he eventually left the game with head trainer Matthew Lucero.?
“When I threw that first curveball to Bichette, it just felt like a charley horse,” Scherzer said after the game.
“When I got on the mound and was trying to go through my motion, I could just tell it didn’t release,” Scherzer said. “I could feel I just wasn’t going to be able to throw another baseball.”
Righty Jose Leclerc came in for Scherzer to finish out the inning as the Rangers led 3-0.
Scherzer allowed three hits and a walk while striking out two before he left the game, lowering his ERA and WHIP to 3.77 and 1.12, respectively, in the win.
Manager Bruce Bochy said the Rangers did not want to push Scherzer, who will get an MRI Wednesday.
“We did not want him to pitch through it,” Bochy said. “We were not going to take any chances there. It’s too bad because he really had good stuff.”?
Since being acquired by the Rangers before the trade deadline from the Mets, the 39-year-old has a 3.20 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Tuesday’s start proved to be better than his last start on Sept. 6 against former teammate Justin Verlander when he was shelled for seven runs on six hits, which included three homers.
He’s been in the thick of a pennant race, and Tuesday night’s game proved to be another big one for Texas.
The Rangers entered Tuesday’s game two games back of the Houston Astros and gained a game with the win and Houston’s 6-2 loss after Verlander struggled.?
They sit 1/2 game up for the second AL wild card.
— With AP