Seattle Mariners May Potentially Get Another Break as AL West Rival Continues Injury Woes
The Seattle Mariners just might be gaining another advantage on the injury front as the season races to a close.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer is still rehabbing an injured shoulder and isn't ready to come back yet. The Mariners play the Rangers seven more times before the season ends and anything that makes them worse is something that makes life easier for the Mariners.
The following comes from MLB.com:
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy added on Aug. 24 that Scherzer went to see team physician Keith Meister for a checkup, but did not know if he got imaging or anything more. Bochy said that Scherzer remains in a “holding pattern” and the Rangers will continue to evaluate him over the final stretch of the season.
“The best I can tell you is that he’s just not ready,” Bochy said on Aug. 23. “Just not quite there yet. I can’t tell you when right now, he’ll let us know and we’ll continue his rehab.”
There was even a story from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that suggests that Scherzer may have thrown his last pitch as a member of the organization.
The possibility grows that Max Scherzer has thrown his last pitch with the Rangers. https://t.co/rC2wadhS7Y
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 28, 2024
Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt, so this is certainly not good news in the grand scheme of things. But the reality remains that the Rangers getting worse can help the Mariners win the American League West for the first time since 2001. The M's trail the Houston Astros by 3.5 games entering play on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old Scherzer has only started eight games this year for Texas. He's 2-4 with a 3.89 ERA. He's struck out 38 batters in 39.1 innings.
A three-time Cy Young winner and a two-time World Series champion, Scherzer is one of the best pitchers of his generation. He's an eight-time All-Star over his 17-year career.
The Mariners and Rangers will play each other again from Sept. 12-15 (in Seattle) and from Sept. 20-22 (in Texas).
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