New York Mets star Max Scherzer had to depart Wednesday’s start because of an injury.
He felt some pain in his left side while pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals, and immediately called in the trainer.
He knew he couldn’t keep pitching, and decided to avoid a more serious injury.
Tests have shown that he has an oblique injury, and those are tricky and without a set return timetable: it usually depends on its grade and on the pitcher’s ability to heal.
“Max Scherzer does indeed have an oblique injury. That injury can have a wide variance for time missed. No official word yet but it can take a month, or more, in many cases,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
Max Scherzer does indeed have an oblique injury. That injury can have a wide variance for time missed. No official word yet but it can take a month, or more, in many cases #mets
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 19, 2022
The ace, who signed a $130 million deal to pitch the next three seasons with the Mets, will be out of action for at least the next couple of weeks, but it’s likely that his absence extends to late-June.
The Mets Are Now Down Their Best Two Starters
The Mets are currently without their two best starters, Jacob deGrom and Scherzer, as the former is still rehabbing from a stress reaction on his right scapula.
Their pitching depth will be tested in the next month or so: Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Taijuan Walker will need to step up, as well as other backend starters.
The talented Scherzer is still dominating at 37 years old.
After leaving last night’s game, his ERA stands at 2.54, with a stellar 0.95 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.
The Mets, in large part thanks to Scherzer, lead the NL East division with a 25-14 record and have a big cushion over the other four teams.
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