Rangers ace Max Scherzer unlikely to pitch again this season

Scherzer had gone 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA since being dealt to the Rangers from the New York Mets prior to the trade deadline. The veteran right-hander had allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts (with two shutouts included in that space), albeit with a poor start against the Houston Astros included in the mix. In his absence, the pitching rotation will be called on for support more than it already has.

As it currently stands, the Rangers occupy the second seed in the AL wild-card race. However, that can be subject to change really quickly, as the club is also only a half-game removed from even occupying a spot in the playoffs at all.

Scherzer's likely season-ending injury will be a stinger to a team that's won four games in a row. Perhaps the Rangers can rally around veteran ace Nathan Eovaldi and use their high-octane offense (.266 batting average, second highest in the MLB) to string together more wins.

If they can, they'll be in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and maybe their ace will miraculously have a chance to return.