Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer performed well in his first rehab start as he works his way back from an injury.
It has been a frustrating 2024 season so far for the defending World Series champs. Injuries have been far too common and the team is currently below .500. Texas received an extremely promising update on Sunday, however. In fact, Sunday was an all-around great day for the ball club.
The big league club cruised to a 7-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Nathan Eovaldi pitched a great game (two earned runs over seven innings) and the offense handled the rest. Also, the Rangers received some tremendous news from the minor leagues. Max Scherzer, who is looking to return as soon as possible after undergoing offseason back surgery, dominated the competition in his first rehab start.
Max Scherzer Takes Care Of Business In Rehab Start
According to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, Scherzer pitched five shutout innings for Triple-A Round Rock. Scherzer also surrendered just one hit and got 14 swings and misses, per McFarland.
Max Scherzer pitched five shutout innings for Triple-A Round Rock, allowed one hit, one walk and struck out five batters. He leaves with a runner on first.
He threw 53 pitches, 37 for strikes. His sinker averaged 93 mph and maxed at 94.8 mph. He got 14 swings and misses.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) June 9, 2024
Yes, Scherzer is not facing major league hitting yet. Triple-A is still extremely competitive, though. The fact that Max Scherzer pitched so well in his first rehab start is encouraging to say the least.
So when will Scherzer return to the Rangers? Texas will proceed with caution with the 39-year-old. There is no reason to rush him back. He already threw more than 50 pitches, so he will likely only need a few more starts before he’s ready to pitch at the MLB level once again.
Texas needs all the help they can get. The Rangers feature enough potential to compete, but being short-handed all season long has led to underwhelming results. Getting Scherzer back will prove to be crucial. We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Scherzer’s injury rehab as they are made available.
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