ARLINGTON, Texas — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is set to make a minor league rehab start Wednesday night. This will be the first game action for the 39-year-old Texas Rangers right-hander since undergoing back surgery during the offseason. Scherzer is scheduled to start for Triple-A Round Rock at home against Salt Lake. Both Rangers manager Bruce Bochy and Scherzer confirmed that the plan is for him to throw around 50 pitches against the Los Angeles Angels’ affiliate team. In a simulated game last Friday, the right-hander threw 40 pitches.
Scherzer had surgery on December 15 to repair a herniated disk in his lower back. The eight-time All-Star was forced to leave his start in Game 3 of the World Series after three innings due to back discomfort. An MRI after the Rangers won the World Series revealed some inflammation in Scherzer’s back. He began to feel better before experiencing nerve pain in his leg. Scherzer underwent two epidural injections before another MRI showed the herniated disk.
Scherzer was acquired by the Rangers in a trade deadline deal last summer. He had a record of 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts before missing the last two weeks of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs due to a strained muscle in his right shoulder. His 3,367 career strikeouts are the most among active pitchers, 21 more than Justin Verlander. Scherzer ranks second on the list of active pitchers with 214 wins and 448 games started.