Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to miss the remainder of the 2023 season due to a strained teres major, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The news comes after he exited the Rangers' recent game versus the Toronto Blue Jays with an apparent injury.

Scherzer wasn't officially ruled out for the playoffs, but Passan also reports GM Chris Young said Scherzer is “unlikely” to pitch in the postseason.

Rangers: Max Scherzer expected to miss rest of season with injury

Scherzer was acquired by the Rangers prior to the trade deadline. The right-hander was part of the New York Mets fire sale that also saw Justin Verlander get traded to the Houston Astros.

Texas wanted a reliable ace for the postseason. The Rangers pitching performed well early in the '23 campaign, but began to struggle a bit in July. This led to Chris Young and the Rangers pulling the trigger on the trade.

The deal itself led to better results from Max Scherzer, who had previously pitched to a 4.01 ERA with the Mets. Scherzer posted a much-improved 3.20 ERA across eight starts with Texas.

Now, the Rangers will desperately need the remainder of their rotation to step up. Texas features other quality arms but inconsistency has been problematic for Texas' pitching staff. Although, their bullpen has been the real downfall.

Texas is currently fighting for a playoff spot. They trail the Houston Astros by just one game in the AL West. Texas also holds the second AL Wild Card position. There are four teams vying for three spots in the AL Wild Card, and three teams are in the hunt for the AL West.

In other words, reaching the playoffs will not be easy despite the Rangers' fairly favorable standings position at the moment. And losing Max Scherzer certainly will not help matters.