Max Scherzer is making his much-anticipated return to the Rangers rotation, and it’s coming in an enormous spot.
The hurler will get the ball for Texas on Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros. It’ll mark his first start since Sept. 12, with the 39-year-old missing the last month-plus with a teres major strain.
Scherzer has been ramping up for a couple weeks. He’s thrown nearly 70 pitches in a live batting practice setting, and it sounds like, barring a disaster, he’ll be able to offer at least that much Wednesday.
“Well, I’ve said this, he went 69 pitches when he threw to hitters about six or seven days ago. That’s the starting point,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday in his weekly appearance on the K&C Masterpiece. “But we’ll keep an eye on him, a watchful eye on him on where he’s at. We’ll check in with him, we’ll of course watch and see if there’s any change in stuff, location, velo, things like that.
“But I’m telling you right now he’s good to go, he’s excited about pitching tomorrow, so we’re looking forward to seeing him.”
Scherzer’s penultimate start before going on the shelf was against the Astros, who rocked him on Sept. 6 to the tune of seven runs on six hits in just three innings. Scherzer is an ace who has fared plenty well in the postseason, but coming off the IL and getting thrown into this type of situation is a tall task for anyone.
It is still being decided whether the Rangers will enter Game 3 with their Game 4 pitching plans already set in stone, or if they plan on letting Wednesday’s game dictate that.
“That’s what we’re talking about now,” Bochy said. “If we’ve got a chance to win the game tomorrow, we’ll do all we can to win that one. We have length in this bullpen, we have some options, so these are things we’re discussing right now.”