Major League Baseball

Rangers' Max Scherzer (shoulder) ‘unlikely’ to pitch again in 2023

Updated Sep. 14, 2023 2:01 a.m. ET

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer will miss the rest of the regular season because of a strained muscle in his shoulder, the team announced Wednesday.

Rangers general manager Chris Young said it was "unlikely" Scherzer would be able to pitch in the postseason if Texas qualifies.

The 39-year-old Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, left Tuesday’s game at Toronto in the sixth inning. The eight-time All-Star allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two in 5 1/3 shutout innings, picking up the win in a game that saw the Rangers leapfrog Toronto into an AL wild-card position.

Scherzer does not require surgery. He will be reevaluated in two weeks. He finished the season 11-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 starts for the Mets and Rangers, striking out 174 in 52 2/3 innings.

Texas recalled right-hander Jonathan Hernández from Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers' pitching staff has struggled as the team has lost ground in the American League West to the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners in recent weeks after leading the division for most of the season. Part of their reason for acquiring Scherzer at the trade deadline in the first place is that prized free-agent signing Jacob deGrom, Scherzer's former Mets teammate, will be out until at least late 2024 after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in June.

Scherzer was traded to Texas from the Mets in July in exchange for top prospect Luisangel Acuña.

We'll have more analysis on what Scherzer's injury means for the Rangers coming later.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.