Updated Post, 5/18/22, 2:38 p.m.
Max Scherzer has a “moderate- to high-grade” oblique injury, per the Mets.
His recovery time is around six to eight weeks. It’s unclear if that’s the time he has to rest, then he begins throwing, or if it’ll take a total of six-to-eight weeks to recover and ramp back up.
That puts him out until around the All-Star break, right around the same time as Jacob deGrom.
Original Post, 5/18/22, 1:13 p.m.
Max Scherzer has an oblique injury, according to Jon Heyman. The team has not officially announced the diagnosis as of Thursday game time as they’re waiting on all the right doctors to read the results, Buck Showalter said.
Scherzer suffered the injury during his Wednesday night start against the St. Louis Cardinals. During a sixth-inning at-bat against Albert Pujols, the righty threw a slider on an 0-1 count and immediately looked to the dugout and said, “I’m done.” He took himself out of the game after 5 2/3 innings and 87 pitches.
After the game, Scherzer said his side was “tight” all day, but it was manageable. It became unmanageable after the last pitch (he said he felt a “zing” in his left side), and he didn’t want to push his body any further.
“I don’t think this is a major strain,” he said.
There has been no timeline associated with the recovery time he’ll need. Oblique injuries can sideline a pitcher from a couple weeks to a couple months.
Scherzer has pitched splendidly for the Mets this season after signing a three-year, $140 million contract (a record average annual value of $43.3 million) this offseason. After Wednesday’s start, the 37-year-old compiled a 2.54 ERA (2.93 FIP), 1.1 fWAR, 153 ERA+, 0.95 WHIP and a 30.9 K% in 49 2/3 innings so far.
Scherzer’s injury is the third to the starting rotation in the first seven weeks of the season. Jacob deGrom was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right scapula before the season even started, then Tylor Megill was placed on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis.
DeGrom is still building up strength in his right shoulder and likely won’t be back until the All-Star break, and Megill will likely return before that.
That leaves the Mets without three of their top six starters heading into the year. In the immediate term, Trevor Williams and David Peterson will likely get more regular big-league starts while Megill and Scherzer are out. They’ll join Carlos Carrasco, Chris Bassitt (pitching today) and Taijuan Walker in the rotation.
In the long-term, the team may look to make a trade to shore up the rotation, especially if Scherzer and deGrom–their top two starters–are out for at least another month or two. Cincinnati Reds starters Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo and Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas are the three biggest names with previous trade rumors attached to them.
