Scherzer out for regular season, but no surgery
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Texas Rangers ace Max Scherzer will miss the remainder of the regular season and is “unlikely” to pitch in the postseason after straining a muscle in his upper arm, general manager Chris Young said Wednesday.
Scherzer, 39, was the Rangers’ prized trade-deadline acquisition, landing him in a deal with the New York Mets for infield prospect Luisangel Acuña. He had pitched well in eight starts for the Rangers, posting a 3.20 ERA, but left his start Tuesday night against Toronto when the teres major — a muscle that connects the scapula to the humerus — tightened up in the sixth inning.
Young said an MRI on Wednesday revealed a low-grade strain of the teres major that won’t require surgery.
“In some ways I was almost relieved that it’s not worse. It’s not surgery,” Scherzer said. “Talking with the doctors, I fully expect to make a full recovery.”
Typically, low-grade teres major strains take at least a month to heal — and it’s unclear whether the Rangers will even be playing at that point.
Young said team physician Dr. Keith Meister feels confident that the injury will fully heal with rest, and Scherzer said he needed a couple of weeks of not throwing. But there are only 2½ weeks left in the regular season as the Rangers try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“Unfortunately, the timing of the schedule isn’t going to line up to where we can provide him rest, and he’ll still pitch again, certainly before the regular season,” said Young, who was then asked about the postseason. “I don’t want to rule it out at this point. We’ll see where the next two weeks go and how he’s feeling. That said, it’s probably unlikely.”
After winning their first eight games following the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Rangers lost 16 of their next 20. Four consecutive wins have thrust them back into a wild-card spot, and seven of their final 10 games against American League West rival Seattle could determine whether Texas makes it to October.
Scherzer was supposed to be a vital part of that run. The Rangers acquired him and left-hander Jordan Montgomery to stabilize a rotation already beset by injury, with free agent starter Jacob deGrom out for the year following Tommy John surgery.
While Texas still has Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray and Montgomery to start games, its bigger worry, even with Scherzer out, is its bullpen, which faltered during the losing skid.
“This team has shown a ton of resolve all season long. We’ve lost five of six All-Stars in the second half at different periods. We’ve now lost a future Hall of Fame pitcher,” Young said. “Yet here we are in a great position to make a run here at the end of the season and make a playoff push.'”
Now in his 16th year, Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer. He remains under contract with Texas for next season.
“I’ve got to listen to what my body says,” Scherzer said. “I’ll throw a ball when I can throw a ball, but it sounds like I’m not going to be able to throw a ball for a little bit.”
Nonetheless, he joins a significant list of pitchers who are out for the year with injury, including deGrom, San Diego‘s Yu Darvish, Dodgers starters Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, and Tampa Bay‘s trio of Tommy John cases (Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen). Angels star Shohei Ohtani will also not pitch again this year because of an elbow ligament tear.
“This clubhouse has been unbelievable through all the injuries we’ve had, especially in this second half,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’ll continue to persevere and focus forward.”
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 19. The Winnipeg Jets are the NHL’s top overall seed, having finished the regular season with the most points in the standings, and the Washington Capitals earned the No. 1 seed in the East.
This page will be your home throughout the postseason, including schedules, scores, highlights and other preview content.
Read on for the full playoff coverage from every first-round series all the way through the Stanley Cup Final.
First round
Atlantic Division
Regular-season records:
Maple Leafs: 51-26-4, 106 points
Senators: 44-30-7, 95 points
Leading scorers:
Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner (27 goals, 73 assists)
Senators: Tim Stutzle (23 goals, 53 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Regular-season records:
Lightning: 47-26-8, 102 points
Panthers: 47-31-4, 98 points
Leading scorers:
Lightning: Nikita Kucherov (37 goals, 84 assists)
Panthers: Sam Reinhart (39 goals, 42 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Metropolitan Division
Regular-season records:
Capitals: 51-21-9, 111 points
Canadiens: 40-31-11, 91 points
Leading scorers:
Capitals: Dylan Strome (29 goals, 52 assists)
Canadiens: Nick Suzuki (29 goals, 58 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Regular-season records:
Hurricanes: 47-29-5, 99 points
Devils: 42-32-7, 91 points
Leading scorers:
Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho (29 goals, 45 assists)
Devils: Jesper Bratt (21 goals, 67 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Central Division
Regular-season records:
Jets: 56-22-4, 116 points
Blues: 44-30-8, 96 points
Leading scorers:
Jets: Kyle Connor (41 goals, 55 assists)
Blues: Robert Thomas (21 goals, 60 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Regular-season records:
Stars: 50-25-6, 106 points
Avalanche: 49-29-4, 102 points
Leading scorers:
Stars: Matt Duchene (30 goals, 51 assists)
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon (32 goals, 84 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Pacific Division
Regular-season records:
Golden Knights: 49-22-10, 108 points
Wild: 45-30-7, 97 points
Leading scorers:
Golden Knights: Jack Eichel (27 goals, 66 assists)
Wild: Matt Boldy (27 goals, 46 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
Regular-season records:
Kings: 48-24-9, 105 points
Oilers: 47-29-5, 99 points
Leading scorers:
Kings: Adrian Kempe (35 goals, 38 assists)
Oilers: Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, 54 assists)
Schedule:
Game 1: TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
Game 6: TBD
Game 7: TBD
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