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June 22, 2024, 01:10 pm ET
ARLINGTON, Texas — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is scheduled to make his season debut Sunday with the Texas Rangers in a start against the Kansas City Royals.
Scherzer hasn’t pitched for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World Series last fall. He underwent offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, then experienced pain in his right thumb during his rehab this season that team doctors later identified as a nerve problem extending up to the right triceps.
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“I’ve been looking to get out here for the last six weeks,” Scherzer said before Saturday’s game. “I can’t wait. I can’t wait to get out.”
His return for the Rangers comes in their first series after hosting the New York Mets, the team that traded Scherzer to Texas last year, earlier this week.
Scherzer, who turns 40 on July 27, struck out 17 and had a 4.91 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. The first was on April 24, but then it was separated due to the nervous issue until the other two, on June 9 and 15.
Scherzer said his debut was delayed a day because he was “very careful” due to a loss of pitcher control in recent days.
“I wanted to let that completely out of the system, get my thumb and hand back in position,” he said. “Because we know that when you lose grip strength it’s kind of a precursor before bad things happen.
“I know I can go out there and throw and compete. I just want to stay healthy.”
In his final rehab start, Scherzer struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and three runs. He threw 55 of his 79 pitches for strikes.
Manager Bruce Bochy said there won’t be a specific pitch count on him.
“We’ll watch the game and see how he feels each inning,” Bochy said. “He has been at the limit. We are not going to put a limit on him.”
After the trade last summer, Scherzer went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts for Texas, the last coming in the regular season on Sept. 12 before being sidelined with a shoulder strain. He returned to make two starts in the American League Championship Series, then Game 3 of the World Series before leaving after three innings due to his back.
His 3,367 strikeouts, 214 wins and 448 games started rank second among active pitchers, trailing only Justin Verlander in each of those categories.
Scherzer said he had “excellent” rehab from back surgery in December, but was concerned about his future as a pitcher because of the nerve problem.
“These nerves can cause long-term damage and what they do to the arm,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with this thumb thing, I’ve been doing it for a year and I’d like to see some resolutions about it, but it is what it is.”
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