New York Mets ace Max Scherzer pulled himself from Wednesday’s 11-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Mets held a four-run lead in the sixth inning when Scherzer hurled a pitch to the plate, only to immediately signal to the dugout that he was done. A few quick back-and-forths of his hand across his neck ended his night and the New York finished off the Cards; however, there is now great concern of what is to come for the all-timer.
Scherzer reported discomfort in his left side and is now listed as day-to-day on the injury report.
Max Scherzer out for the New York Mets
This year is Scherzer’s first in the big apple; he finished last season as the National League runner-up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were defeated by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series.
The 37-year-old is a three-time Cy Young award winner, World Series champion, and eight-time All-Star. He has been a crucial component in the Mets achieving the NL East’s top spot and
MLB’s fourth-best combined earned run average this season, posting a record of 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA.
Even more importantly, Scherzer was one of very, very few players capable of filling in for the ailing Jacob deGrom, who finished last season 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA before injuries cut his season short.
Scherzer has been beat up in the past, although he has never endured long-lasting problems. His health will be crucial to the Mets, who have only won four of their last eight games after starting the season in spectacular form. Longtime Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt has impressed upon his arrival in New York, managing to go 4-2 with an even-better 2.34 ERA, but the team still needs Scherzer back soon to maintain its divisional dominance.
New York finishes off its four-game series with St. Louis Thursday afternoon.
