Max Scherzer makes Rangers’ ALCS roster after injury kept ex-Mets ace out of first two rounds

Former New York Mets ace Max Scherzer has successfully recovered from a shoulder injury that cut short his regular season and raised concerns about his availability for the postseason.

Scherzer has been included in the Texas Rangers’ ALCS roster, which was revealed by the team on Sunday. He was unable to pitch in the previous two playoff rounds due to a right teres major strain, but the three-time Cy Young Award winner is now ready to make his comeback.

In the upcoming games against the Houston Astros, the 39-year-old Scherzer may take the mound for Game 3, following former Yankees pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi’s starts in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively. Texas has yet to announce its starting pitchers beyond Game 2.

The Mets traded Scherzer to the Rangers just before the MLB trade deadline, aiming to strengthen the Rangers’ rotation after losing another former Mets ace, Jacob deGrom, to elbow surgery.

This season, Scherzer had a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts with the Mets before the trade. With the Rangers, he pitched in eight games and recorded a 3.20 ERA. However, he had a rough outing against the Astros on Sept. 6, giving up seven runs in three innings.

After a Sept. 12 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays, Scherzer’s season was halted due to the shoulder strain. At the time, Rangers general manager Chris Young expressed doubt that Scherzer would be able to return for the playoffs. However, Scherzer’s rehabilitation went well, leading to his declaration of being “ready to go” after a bullpen session on Friday.

Both the Rangers and Astros finished the regular season with a 90-72 record. However, Houston secured the AL West title based on their head-to-head matchups with Texas. In the postseason, Texas swept both the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round and ALDS, respectively.

In the trade that sent Scherzer to the Rangers, the Mets received Luisangel Acuna, a highly regarded minor-league infielder. Another former ace, 40-year-old Justin Verlander, who was part of the Mets’ fire sale in August, is also present in the ALCS, now playing for the Astros.

Throughout his playoff career, Scherzer has a 7-7 record and a 3.58 ERA in 27 games, including 22 starts. He won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019 and had a 1-0 record in two starts against the Astros in that series.

In 2022, the Mets signed Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million deal. He had an impressive 11-5 record with a 2.29 ERA last year but lost his only playoff start.

The Rangers have also added starting pitcher Jon Gray to their ALCS roster. Gray had been sidelined by a lower forearm strain since Sept. 25. This season, he posted a 9-8 record with a 4.12 ERA in 29 starts.

Scherzer and Gray have replaced relievers Matt Bush and Brock Burke on the Rangers’ playoff roster.