Three-time Cy Young Award winner and current career strikeout leader, Max Scherzer, has been moved to the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder fatigue. Scherzer, with a 2-4 record this season, has had a limited number of starts after his season debut on June 23 following back surgery earlier in the year, along with a nerve issue in his arm.
The Texas Rangers made the announcement of placing Scherzer on the IL before their game against Boston, with the move retroactively effective from Wednesday, the day after Scherzer had a short outing, not pitching past the fourth inning for the third time in four starts. Left-handed reliever Walter Pennington was called up from Triple-A Round Rock to replace Scherzer. Pennington joined the Rangers following a trade that sent right-hander Michael Lorenzen to Kansas City.
In his recent start on July 25, just before his 40th birthday, Scherzer pitched six innings against the Chicago White Sox, allowing only one run and striking out nine batters. This performance pushed him ahead of Justin Verlander on the all-time strikeout list, making Scherzer the active pitcher with the highest number of strikeouts.
During his latest game against the Cardinals, Scherzer threw four innings, giving up three runs on 68 pitches. His five strikeouts in that game brought his total career strikeouts to 3,405. Following the game, manager Bruce Bochy mentioned that Scherzer’s arm had tired and that he felt discomfort in his triceps.
