The Texas Rangers will be without one of their top starters for the start of next season, as Max Scherzer underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, the club's general manager Chris Young told reporters on Friday, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.
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Young said that they attempted several "conservative treatments in pain management," but Scherzer's back pain never went away, necessitating the surgery. The right-hander is expected to be sidelined until June or July.
“After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse. During this time, I received a diagnosis of a herniated disc. After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery," Scherzer said in a statement, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer.”
Scherzer, 39, was removed from the Rangers' World Series roster after he was lifted from Game 3 against the Diamondbacks after three scoreless innings due to low back tightness.
After being acquired in a midseason trade with the New York Mets, Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts with Texas before he was sidelined for the rest of the regular season due to a strained teres major muscle behind his right shoulder. He returned to pitch in Games 3 and 7 of the ALCS but was roughed up by the Houston Astros, compiling a 9.45 ERA in 6.2 innings.
Scherzer has one year remaining on the three-year, $130 million contact he signed with the Mets before the 2022 season.
With Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and newly signed Tyler Mahle all expected to return from injuries in the middle of the season, the Rangers have some holes to fill in their rotation for the first two-plus months of the season.
As the roster currently stands, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Cody Bradford and Dane Dunning will likely open the season as the club's starting rotation, but there are likely more moves to come this offseason.