Texas Rangers star pitcher Max Scherzer had it going in Game 3 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night.
With the series tied at one heading back to Arizona, Scherzer threw three shutout innings while striking out one and walking two.
Unfortunately for the future Hall of Famer and the American League champions, Scherzer had to leave the game as he made his way to the bump to open the fourth inning. As you can see in the video, the former Cy Young winner was showing a ton of discomfort. At least officially, he left with what’s being described as back stiffness.
Acquired from the New York Mets ahead of the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, Scherzer missed the end of the regular season with a teres major strain in the same region of the body.
Scherzer was able to return for the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. He pitched 6.2 innings, yielding seven earned runs in two starts before taking to the hill Monday night.
Max Scherzer stats (2023): 13-6 record, 3.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
Scherzer was replaced by fellow starter Jon Gray in the fourth inning with Texas up 3-0 as it looks to take a 2-1 series lead. Gray would go on to open his appearance with two shutout innings.
As for Scherzer, this is the latest injury setback for a 39-year-old pitcher who has not seen action in as many as 30 games since back in 2021.
We’ll have further updates on his injury as soon as they become available.