Father Time catches up with everyone eventually. That may now be the case with Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer.
The Rangers announced on Friday that Scherzer was heading back to the injured list due to right shoulder fatigue. This marks his second stint on the IL, as he missed most of the season due to a back injury.
Scherzer turned 40-years-old on July 27. He is in the final year of the three-year, $130M contract he originally signed with the Mets during the 2021-22 offseason and was traded to the Rangers just before the 2023 trade deadline. Scherzer has battled a myriad of injuries during that time frame, missing time due to a left oblique strain, left side fatigue, neck spasms, a teres major muscle injury, required surgery on a herniated disc during the 2023-24 offseason and a nerve problem in his right arm.
Those injuries and the wear and tear of age have taken their toll. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported that, when she spoke to Scherzer a month ago, he was unsure how long he would continue pitching. His performance when he has been able to take the mound has been solid, but it has not come easy for him this year.
If this is the end, Scherzer’s next stop will be in Cooperstown. He has produced a 216-112 record with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.077 WHiP in his 2,874 innings, striking out 3,405 batters with 754 walks. An eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer fired two no-hitters in 2015, was a part of two World Series-winning teams and is one of four pitchers to strike out out 20 batters in nine innings.
Scherzer has had a career anyone would be proud of.
The end of the road is apparently coming for Scherzer. He may have already thrown the final pitch of his career.