Max Scherzer may be thankful that he landed with the Texas Rangers just in time for their World Series breakthrough in 2023, but it hasn't been quite as smooth-sailing for him on a personal level. Scherzer's Rangers stint to this point has been marred by injuries, with the veteran starting pitcher having to undergo surgery to help in his recovery from the herniated disc in his back.
Now 39 years of age, there is no reason whatsoever for the Rangers to rush Scherzer back in his injury recovery process. But it seems as though the veteran will be beating his initial expected timeline of recovery. According to manager Bruce Bochy, the Rangers think that Scherzer could be back on the mound as soon as June 2024.
“We just need them to be themselves, be healthy. With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought,” Bochy said, via MLB Network.
"With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought.” 👀@Rangers manager Bruce Bochy gives an update on Max Scherzer and how his squad can avoid a potential World Series hangover. pic.twitter.com/1UaBnaRZzy
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 1, 2024
Of course, Max Scherzer was a warrior for the Rangers to end their storied 2023 playoff run that ended in the franchise's first-ever World Series title. Scherzer returned from a shoulder injury just in time to help Texas in their heated ALCS battle against in-state rival Houston Astros. Scherzer pitched in their epic Game 7 win, while he also helped lead the Rangers to a crucial Game 3 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.
Scherzer underwent surgery to repair the herniated disc on his back back in December, and initially, the prognosis on his recovery was that he would be returning to action around June to July. So while Bruce Bochy's inkling that Scherzer could return in June wouldn't take quite a huge medical miracle, the 39-year old starter should give the Rangers yet another dangerous weapon to trot out on the mound.
At present, it's unclear how the Rangers will fill the fifth spot in the starting rotation amid Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom's absences. The front four seems set with Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, and Andrew Heaney however, so it's not like Bochy and the reigning World Series champions have to fret in the first two and half months that Scherzer would have to miss.
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