Rangers ace Max Scherzer expected to miss rest of regular season due to shoulder strain, doubtful for playoffs

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Texas Rangers ace Max Scherzer isn't likely to pitch in the playoffs. 

He is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season due to a strained teres major, general manager Chris Young told reporters Wednesday. The teres major is a muscle in the shoulder that connects the scapula to the humerus.

This news comes a day after the 39-year-old exited his team's 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning due to a "right triceps spasm," according to ESPN.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner has gone 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts since the club acquired him from the New York Mets on July 30. Scherzer recorded 53 strikeouts to 15 walks with the Rangers before sustaining the injury.

He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 11th overall pick of the 2006 MLB Draft before making his MLB debut in 2008. He has notched 448 career starts, which ranks third among active pitchers, as he has been healthy for much of his long career. 

Scherzer's track record of avoiding missing significant time was disrupted in 2022, when an oblique strain and subsequent irritation of that injury landed him on the injured list and limited him to 23 starts. 

His current injury is another blow for the Rangers, a team that has become quite familiar with losing crucial arms. Corey Kluber suffered a similar injury during his flash with the Rangers in 2020. The three-time All-Star pitched in just one game for the team that season, an appearance that lasted just one inning. 

Before the 2023 season, the Rangers signed former Mets ace Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal. He was limited to just six starts before he underwent Tommy John surgery in June.

Scherzer was his replacement of sorts. He is signed through 2024, though now the Rangers might not have him leading their rotation in October. DeGrom is not expected to return until the second half of the 2024 season.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery is listed as the Rangers' starting pitcher ahead of Wednesday's matchup in Canada, the third game of the series.