Next Move For Texas Rangers Ace Max Scherzer After Dominating Rehab Start With Round Rock?

Texas Rangers starter Max Scherzer went to Las Vegas to rehab but found himself helping the Round Rock Express nearly author a no-hitter.

Jul 9, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers to the plate in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers sent injured right-hander Max Scherzer to Las Vegas on Saturday night to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock.

He was near-perfect. And so was his relief.

He helped the Express carry a no-hitter into the eighth inning, with Round Rock winning the game, 4-2.

Scherzer was not there to try and make history. He was there to get his reps in after making a mechanical tweak in his delivery to resolve a nerve issue in his throwing arm.

It worked. Scherzer threw four innings and got in 53 pitches. He gave up no runs or hits, struck out eight and walked one.

The Express lost the no-hitter in the eighth inning with one out as reliever Pete Solomon gave up a single. Express pitching combined to allow two runs and four hits.  

Earlier Saturday, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that they were hoping to get two innings out of the Cy Young winner and then see where he’s at. So, he clearly exceeded expectations.

“If all goes well he’ll be pitching for us soon,” Bochy said. “(his next start) would be here (with the Rangers). Whether he’s opening up for us, we’ll see how he feels once he comes out of it.”

Texas is on the road next week. The earliest Scherzer could pitch would be Thursday, based on normal rest.

The 40-year-old has had a frustrating season. He started it on the injured list after he had offseason surgery for a herniated disc. Before he was able to return he started to deal with a nerve issue in his arm, which delayed his return. He's 2-4 with a 4.39 ERA in eight starts in 2024.

Once he returned he went back on the injured list at the start of August with arm fatigue, which Scherzer later said was the re-emergence of the nerve issue. The adjustments he made to his delivery in the past two weeks are allowing him to pitch pain-free.