The cavalry has arrived. Max Scherzer is splashing some cold water in the face of discouraged Texas Rangers fans after making his season debut on Sunday. The three-time Cy Young winner shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 4-0 victory in Globe Life Field, pitching five scoreless innings of one-hit ball to lead the club to its fourth straight win.
He also achieved some remarkable MLB history and now breathes the same air as one of the best starting pitchers of his generation. Scherzer struck out four batters to earn 3,371 for his career, which ties him with Greg Maddux for 11th on the all-time list.
The 39-year-old continues to pad his Hall of Fame résumé, which can grow even more robust if he can contribute to another World Series title run. Scherzer posted an impressive 3.20 ERA in eight regular season starts with the Rangers in 2023 but ran into some trouble after returning from injury in the playoffs. He underwent back surgery last December, which kept him sidelined for almost the first three months of the 2024 campaign.
Although the right-hander commanded the mound against the Royals, there is always the worry his body will break down again. Max Scherzer has that concern coming out of his 57-pitch return outing.
“Everything from a baseball standpoint was telling me to go back out there,” he said, per ESPN. “You know, I'm pitching well, I'm throwing the ball well. I just don't know how I'm going to recover from this… I was feeling my forearm kind of fatigued.”
A healthy Max Scherzer could give Rangers a new lease on life
As Scherzer prepares to make his next scheduled start, the ensuing days could be unpleasant. He is in the twilight of his career and just pitched in an MLB game for the first time since Oct. 30. There is no telling how his arm responds. One thing that is certain, however, is that Texas needs all the healthy stars it can muster.
The Rangers (37-40) still have a challenging climb in front of them– trail the Seattle Mariners by six and a half games in the American League West and are four and a half out of the final Wild Card slot– but the sheer presence of Scherzer should give manager Bruce Bochy and company a great deal of confidence going forward.
They have been marred by injuries and unmet expectations throughout the season. With the starting pitching rotation regaining its marquee name, their mini-resurgence will ideally morph into a full-fledged revival. Texas begins a seven-game road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles on Monday night and hopes Max Scherzer will be a key factor during the tough stretch.
If all goes well, he will own sole placement of the No. 11 slot on the K's list by the end of this week. The two-time champion is not taking anything for granted.
“It was just fun to get back out there and compete,” Scherzer said. “Be on the mound, and being in sync with the game, with the flow of the game.”
Follow Us
Subscribe