Seattle Max Scherzer might soon be returning to the Rangers clubhouse.
In his second start of his current rehab assignment, the three-time Cy Young Award winner started for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday. He went 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight against the Tacoma Raniers (Mariners affiliate), losing 4-0.
A little bit above the 70-75 mark that Rangers manager Bruce Bochy stated he was going for going into the game, Scherzer threw 79 pitches.
Now, the Rangers will monitor Scherzer’s condition following his latest outing. Bochy mentioned before Saturday’s 7-5 loss to the Mariners that if everything went well, it would likely be his final rehab start.
Scherzer’s fastball reached a maximum of 93.4 mph and averaged 92.1 mph, slightly down from his previous outing. He utilized all five of his pitches and induced 10 swings and misses.
Seattle’s Jonatan Clase, ranked as the Mariners’ No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline, hit a solo home run off Scherzer on the first pitch of the game. Scherzer surrendered two more runs, concluding with four hits allowed and two walks.
Scherzer, who exited Game 3 of the 2023 World Series due to back pain, underwent surgery during the offseason to repair a herniated disc. He made one rehab appearance on April 24 but experienced setbacks from thumb soreness and nerve inflammation, preventing further appearances.
After a six-week absence, Scherzer returned to Round Rock on June 9 with a four-inning start.
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