**Max Scherzer Placed on 15-Day IL Due to Shoulder Fatigue**
Max Scherzer, the Texas Rangers’ star pitcher and three-time Cy Young Award winner, has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder fatigue. Texas manager Bruce Bochy expressed optimism that Scherzer will not be out for more than the minimum 15 days.
“We don’t think it’ll be more than 15 days,” Bochy said following the Rangers’ 11-6 loss to Boston. “He actually thinks in a couple more days he could be ready. But we have some concern for him. We want to take care of him and have him for the rest of the year. That’s why we’re giving him a break right now.”
Scherzer (2-4) has made only eight starts since his season debut on June 23, following offseason back surgery and a nerve issue in his arm. The Rangers announced Scherzer’s move to the IL about 90 minutes before their home game, after Bochy’s pregame meeting with reporters. The move is retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Scherzer’s latest outing.
In that start, Scherzer pitched four innings, allowing three runs and throwing 68 pitches in a loss to the Cardinals. Despite the setback, his five strikeouts increased his career total to 3,405, maintaining his position as the active career strikeout leader.
Bochy noted that Scherzer’s arm “just fatigued there” and that he could feel it in his triceps. Scherzer himself commented that he was “trying to grind through these starts and ramp up” and initially believed he needed just an extra day off, not a stint on the IL.
With the Rangers having a day off on Thursday, Scherzer’s next start would have been Monday. However, the team now hopes he will be ready to return by August 15.
In his last home start on July 25, shortly before his 40th birthday, Scherzer allowed one run and struck out nine over six innings against the Chicago White Sox. During that game, he also passed Justin Verlander for 10th place on the all-time strikeout list among active pitchers.