Future Hall of Fame pitcher has back surgery, out much of ’24 season

When Max Scherzer exited his World Series Game 3 start with a back injury, it was far more serious than it appeared.

Scherzer underwent recent back surgery to repair a herniated disk, Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters Friday, an injury that will sideline him for most of the 2024 season’s first half.

And with Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer, set to celebrate his 40th birthday in July, it’s a significant setback for a pitcher with nearly 3,000 innings pitched on his odometer.

Scherzer will earn $43.3 million in 2024, the final year of a three-year deal he signed with the New York Mets before the 2022 season. Yet when the Mets slipped from contention last season, he agreed to a trade to Texas, where he backfilled a rotation slot left by Jacob deGrom’s elbow injury.

The Mets agreed to pay $30.8 million of Scherzer’s 2024 salary, with the Rangers responsible for the remaining $12.5 million.

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He posted a 3.20 ERA in eight starts with Texas, but suffered a teres major shoulder strain that ended his season in September. Scherzer rehabbed the injury as the Rangers began their playoff run and made a pair of so-so starts in the American League Championship Series against Houston.

Scherzer had pitched three scoreless innings in World Series Game 3 when he motioned to the dugout that he could not continue.

Young told reporters Thursday that Scherzer attempted ‘conservative treatments in pain management’ before opting for surgery, considered a last resort for managing disk herniation.

Wednesday, the Rangers agreed to a two-year contract with starter Tyler Mahle, who won’t be available at the start of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. They also expect deGrom to return and join World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi and Jon Gray in the rotation, along with holdovers Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning.