Scherzer ‘ready’ after pen session, aims for ALCS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer declared himself “ready to go” after throwing another bullpen session and doing fielding drills Friday, two days before the Texas Rangers open the American League Championship Series.
The Rangers haven’t said whether the three-time Cy Young Award winner will be on their ALCS roster, and that decision doesn’t have to be made until Sunday before Game 1 at Houston. Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 12 because of a muscle strain in his injured shoulder.
“I feel good. Recovered, checked all of the boxes I possibly can,” Scherzer said during a workout at Globe Life Field before the team traveled to Houston. “So I’m ready to go.”
Texas manager Bruce Bochy, who didn’t speak with reporters on Friday, and pitching coach Mike Maddux have expressed being encouraged by the progress of Scherzer, who was a trade-deadline acquisition from the New York Mets.
The Rangers did announce left-hander Jordan Montgomery, another deadline acquisition, as their probable Game 1 starter against the Astros. Montgomery is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in his two starts this postseason, including Game 2 of the AL Division Series at Baltimore last Sunday.
After a bullpen session in full uniform, Scherzer fielded grounders up both lines at Globe Life Field and covered first base for a few plays.
“I do two days of PFP in the year, one day in spring training and one day before postseason,” he said with a grin, referring to pitchers’ fielding practice.
Scherzer said he is confident he can get batters out and knows he would have to bring his A-game against the Astros. But he doesn’t know how long he could go in a game.
“I can’t answer that question. It’s just going to be play it by ear,” Scherzer said. “I’ll just be in communication with Boch and Mad Dog [Maddux], and we’ll see how this shakes out. … We’ve had conversations: If I do feel something, I’ve got to come out of the game.”
His latest bullpen session followed a simulated game Wednesday, when Scherzer threw 68 pitches against hitters and had several up-and-down segments.
“Very encouraged, the fact that he threw 68 against hitters, maintained his stuff throughout all 68,” Maddux said Friday of Scherzer’s pitch count, speaking before the workouts. “He didn’t skip a beat from 1 to 68. That was the encouraging part. Need to sharpen up a little bit.”
“That was my first time on the mound facing hitters in a few weeks — you’re breaking through some cobwebs,” Scherzer added. “I got through those, got my arm in the right position. So then this sim game [Wednesday], that was kind of more like a rehab start and got stronger throughout my pitches. I felt like I was almost stronger at the end than I was at the beginning, so that’s kind of what you want to feel before you get into a start.”
Asked if he felt like he had more life on his fastball when facing hitters this week than last, Scherzer said he wasn’t sure.
“That was actually kind of a weird sim game,” he said. “I usually don’t pitch hungover.”
That was the day after the Rangers had wrapped up the AL Division Series with a 7-1 win over Baltimore.
Scherzer, whose 3,367 strikeouts are the most among active pitchers, was 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 starts for the Mets and Rangers. He struck out 174 in 152⅔ innings.
As part of the trade to Texas, Scherzer exercised his 2024 option at $43.33 million, most of which will be covered by Mets’ payments to the Rangers.
Despite an excellent first half to the season, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t selected as an All-Star this year, but the team made sure that he’ll be paid like one.
Despite the snub, Eovaldi was given the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract by the Rangers after he posted a 1.58 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 91 innings. Teammate Jacob deGrom, who was selected as an All-Star, also received a $100,000 bonus.
Eovaldi, in his 15th major league season, would lead the majors in ERA, but after missing a month due to a triceps injury, he fell six innings short of the necessary 97 innings to qualify among leaders for individual statistical categories.
Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star, won his third straight game on Sunday to improve to 7-3, giving up five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros.
The right-hander ranks second only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal among MLB starting pitchers in WHIP (0.85) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71). Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .194 with a .237 on-base percentage, .286 slugging percentage and .523 OPS against Eovaldi.
Eovaldi is scheduled to make his first start of the second half at home on Sunday against Skubal and the Tigers at Globe Life Field.
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