New concerning update on Mets ace emerges
New York Mets co-ace Max Scherzer may return to the bump this weekend, but that doesn't mean his injury issues have subsided.
On the latest edition of "Around the Bases with Jon Heyman," the well-respected MLB insider indicated that the Mets are worried about the back/side soreness that caused Scherzer to have a start pushed back last month.
"It's not good," Heyman directly said. "Mets people think they may need to monitor this, and [Scherzer] may need to manage this for the entire season. He wants to stay off the [injured list]. Maybe he will. Maybe it would be better if he just went to the IL and tried to take care of this...it's not a great situation with Scherzer."
Shortly after word about Scherzer's problem emerged in April, he was ejected from a start and handed a 10-game suspension after his hands were deemed too "sticky" against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 38-year-old was then chased from his return to the rotation after fewer than four innings at the Detroit Tigers on May 3, and his velocity and spin rates were decreased in that outing.
One piece of positive news is that Heyman said the neck spasms that caused Scherzer to be scratched from Tuesday's start at the Cincinnati Reds are "not a big issue." Per Tim Healey of Newsday, the three-time Cy Young Award winner could pitch as soon as Sunday at the Washington Nationals.
Scherzer has made just five starts for the Mets this season and is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA across 22.2 innings of work. Meanwhile, New York enters Friday night's game against Washington at 18-20, good for fourth in the National League East standings. The Mets started the day a whopping seven-and-a-half games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves.
The last-place Nationals are 16-21.
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