Max Scherzer is set to return from injury on Sunday, and the Texas Rangers pitcher is poised to play a big role for the team moving forward.
On Saturday, the Rangers announced that Scherzer is expected to make his 2024 season debut on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Scherzer had been trending in a promising direction but his timeline was uncertain until Saturday. It has been a long journey for Scherzer amid his rehab from offseason back surgery. Now, Scherzer is ready to go and help the Rangers.
RHP Max Scherzer is expected to start for the Rangers in tomorrow’s series finale against Kansas City at Globe Life Field.
He is scheduled to be activated from the 60-day Injured List (rehab from back surgery) pre-game on Sunday, and will be seeking his season debut.
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) June 22, 2024
At 39 years old, one has to wonder how much Scherzer has left in the tank. Here are three predictions for the Rangers All-Star in 2024.
Max Scherzer Set to Return on Sunday
It will not be easy for the veteran to return and perform at a high level. Fortunately, Scherzer thrives under pressure and loves taking on difficult challenges. As a result, look for Scherzer to come out of the gate pitching well.
The Rangers will closely monitor his status. Texas may have him on a pitch count to start things off. Nevertheless, Scherzer is poised to pitch well when on the mound.
In 2023, Scherzer pitched to a 3.77 ERA. However, he had a 4.01 ERA with the New York Mets but turned in a stellar 3.20 ERA after getting traded to the Rangers. He displayed the ability to pitch well in Texas, so there is no reason to doubt him in 2024.
There may be some rust, but the prediction here is that Scherzer will overcome it and find success.
Scherzer Makes Veteran Adjustment
Plenty of young flame-throwing hurlers dominate the competition for a short amount of time. It is difficult to find pitchers who enjoy extended periods of success.
Veterans don’t always feature 100 MPH fastballs, but they learn how to paint the corners and utilize all of their breaking pitches to perfection. There was a time when Scherzer consistently struck out more than 30 percent of the batters he faced. In 2023, though, Scherzer struck out only 28 percent of hitters who opposed him.
Even if he does not record as many strikeouts as he once did, look for Scherzer to adjust and try to induce weak contact on the mound. He limited opponents to a 21.3 percent hard-hit rate during his time with the Rangers last year. Scherzer will likely take a similar approach in his 2024 campaign.
Scherzer’s Return Sparks Rangers Hot Streak
The Rangers are currently in third place in the American League West. They are four games under .500 and 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners.
Texas is beginning to get healthy after injuries were far too common to begin the season. With Scherzer set to return and the Rangers getting key reinforcements back, the ball club should be in a quality position to bounce back and make some noise in the division. Perhaps Max Scherzer’s return will provide the spark the team needs.
Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
