Texas Rangers Notebook: Max Scherzer Expected To Rejoin Rotation Against Kansas City Royals This Weekend

Max Scherzer is expected to return to the Texas Rangers rotation against the Kansas City Royals this weekend.

Oct 31, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers injured pitcher Max Scherzer (31) watches the game from the dug out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning in game four of the 2023 World Series at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer is expected to return to the rotation this weekend against the Kansas City Royals.

The three-time Cy Young award winner made his second rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said before Monday's series opener against the New York Mets that Scherzer's next outing would be for the Rangers.

Bochy, however, declined to announce what day Scherzer will start.

Third baseman Josh Jung and reliever Josh Sborz are also expected to return from the injured list later this week.

Scherzer, 39, had back surgery in December, which delayed his spring training. He was expected to return to the Rangers rotation in mid-May, but after a rehab start in late April, Scherzer experienced a nerve issue that started in his throwing thumb and ran up his arm. His recovery was delayed to let that issue dissipate.

Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.21 ERA in eight regular-season starts with the Rangers after being acquired in a trade deadline deal. Scherzer helped the Rangers win their first World Series title.

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Rangers Trade Reliever Shaun Anderson To Miami Marlins For Cash

Texas Rangers reliever Shaun Anderson was traded to the Miami Marlins on Thursday for cash considerations before the two teams faced off in the opener of a three-game series Friday. Anderson was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Sunday.

He appeared in two games with Texas, allowing two runs off six hits and striking out three in 3 1/3 innings for a 5.40 ERA. Anderson was optioned to Miami’s Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville.

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This 2024 Club Has A Magic Number For Victory

Scoring a lot of runs usually means good things for baseball teams. You don't need to be an analytics expert to know that. But in 2024, there has been a simple formula for victory for the Texas Rangers.

Score six runs. That's it. Of course, that has been a struggle lately for the Rangers offense, which came one game shy of matching a franchise record with 14 consecutive games scoring four or fewer runs.

Rangers Magic Number

Runs scored	Record
6 or more	15-0
5 or fewer	12-29
4 or fewer	10-26

In 10 of their 15 games scoring six or more runs, they've held their opponent to four or fewer runs.

In games they've scored five or fewer runs, the Rangers are 12-29.
The Rangers are riding a three-game win streak entering their weekend series against the Florida Marlins, ninth in the Majors in scoring and fifth in the American League with 249 runs, 4.45 runs per game.

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Sweep Streak Comes to End

The Texas Rangers have won three straight games on the heels of a season-worst six-game losing streak and completed club’s first series sweep (2-0) of the season by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Wednesday.

The Rangers were the last remaining MLB team not to have a sweep this season. Texas last swept a club last season, taking three in row from the Seattle Mariners from Sept. 22-24. The victory over Arizona also snapped a streak of five consecutive winless series for the Rangers beginning May 10.

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Longest MLB Home Run Streak in 2024

Don’t look now, but no team in Major League Baseball has a longer home run streak than the Texas Rangers. The reigning World Series champions have gone deep in 13 consecutive games, which is the best in baseball this season.

The Rangers extended the run on Wednesday when Corey Seager clubbed another homer to continue his recent tear.

Texas has 13 homers over the stretch that began May 14. It’s also the franchise's longest streak since 13 in a row in 2018. Two MLB teams had an 11-game home rum streak this season, with the Boston Red Sox being the last club to do it.

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Nathan Eovaldi, Wyatt Langford Activated from Injured List

The Texas Rangers made the following roster moves before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field:

• RHP Nathan Eovaldi activated from 15-day Injured List (Right groin strain)

• OF Wyatt Langford activated from 10-day Injured List (Right hamstring strain)

• OF Evan Carter placed on 10-day Injured List (Lumbar sprain)

• RHP Yerry Rodríguez optioned to Round Rock (AAA)

Eovaldi was activated to serve as the starter for Game 1 of the two-game series which also served as a World Series rematch. He did not complete a minor league rehab assignment after he was placed on IL with a right groin strain on May 3, as this will be his first game action since a start on May 2 vs. the Washington Nationals (W, 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 92 pitches/58 strikes).

Eovaldi has gone 2-2, 2.61 ERA (12 ER/41 1/3 IP) with 44 strikeouts/19 walks over seven games/starts in 2024. He posted a 0.79 ERA (1 ER/11 1/3 IP) in his last two starts prior to the IL stint, and his 2.61 season ERA figure would rank 11th among American League leaders if he qualified.

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Josh Jung Bobblehead Released by FOCO

The new “Josh Jung Texas Rangers Mini-Bighead” has been released by FOCO. This bobblehead features Jung in his Rangers home uniform in a swinging action pose atop a round field stripe base. The bobblehead stands at 4.5 in, retails for $30 and is numbered out of 144 to increase the collectability.

Order the Jung Mini-Bighead and other Rangers collectibles here.

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