Mets ace Max Scherzer tells reporters he’ll be activated from the injured list and return to the Major League mound next Tuesday when the team is in Cincinnati (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).
It’ll be the first appearance in just over six weeks for Scherzer, who suffered an oblique strain in mid-May. That came with a six-to-eight week recovery timetable, and the eight-time All-Star wound up landing on the earlier end of that estimate. Needless to say, that’s a welcome development given Scherzer’s importance to the club.
At the time of the injury, New York sat seven games clear of their competitors in the NL East. That gap has been closed to 3 1/2 entering play Friday, although that’s in large part due to an excellent run from the defending champion Braves. The Mets have gone 21-15 in Scherzer’s absence, regressing a bit from their early-season form but generally continuing to play well in spite of the absence of their two co-aces. Jacob deGrom, of course, has yet to pitch this season after suffering a scapular injury during Spring Training.
Signed to a record-setting three-year contract over the winter, Scherzer had continued to thrive in his new environs before getting hurt. Through his first eight starts as a Met, he’s tossed 49 2/3 frames of 2.54 ERA ball, striking out an elite 30.6% of opposing hitters.
I’d keep him on the shelf a bit longer. You need him 100% come playoff time. But Mad Max will be a big relief to this pitching staff.
@VonPurpleHays: agreed. More time off seems logical. And I’m thinking the Mets brass agrees as well. That said, here come the Braves! Max is a beast. Give him the ball and keep fingers crossed he stays healthy.
If that’s what you determined after seeing his medical notes, sure thing Doc
Basing it more on Max’s deadarm in the playoffs last year and the fact that the dude is closer to 40 than 30. Not really taking his current injury into account.
@Cam, I hear ya! Amateur doctor hour on my part. Cheers!
Fun police over here.
Wanna count how many times the advice given by Met docs has turned sour? You don’t need a degree to second guess this teams injury history, doctors or not.
Yeah- it makes perfect sense to have Max idle unnecessarily when you’re only paying him $1.25 million per missed start.
And the news keeps getting worse for Cincinnati
The Mets were up by NINE games on June 6th. I don’t see them winning the east, honestly — Scherzer or not.
I can see the Braves taking it now, but, unlike previous years, the Mets won’t collapse. They are deep. So while they may lose the division in a close race, they’ll still make the playoffs. They’re too good and too deep not to.
Mets went 13-12 in June, the Braves just played out of their minds, they won 14 straight. You need more than streaks to go all the way. 1916 Giants get alot of folklore out of winning 26 in a row. The same season they also won 17 in a row. What did it get them? A fourth place finish…….Braves need to figure out why it took so long to get going, or potentially face repeating April and May….
@WampumWalloper The difference is, the Braves have a history of doing this. Putting it together when it matters. I still see the Mets winning the division, but I wouldn’t just call this Braves hotstreak a fluke. They had some new pieces. Like the Phillies, the Braves have a lot of offense that didn’t get going until the weather warmed up. I don’t see the Braves letting up at all.
@von no doubt the Braves have a ton of talent, when Albies is healthy, arguably the best IF In baseball,, when Ozuna shakes off the rust and Acuna is back, the way Harris is developing, nice Outfield, they always seem to have good young pitchers, nothing not to like. Tough to think that the Braves or Mets won’t make the playoffs. The Braves slow start just doesn’t line up with how talented they are.
Logical thinking or wishful thinking? Considering Scherzer had been out 6 weeks and deGrom all season so far. Aren’t you embarrassed to sound so ignorant?
Ah, the Orioles fan has checked in…
They’ve been the best team in the NL all season without deGrom pitching a single game and without Scherzer for half the season. Scherzer is back Tuesday and deGrom should begin rehab starts on Sunday.
@Chris G. I can go back to last year and point to the similar comments about deGrom and Thor coming back. I have openly picked the Mets to win the division, and that has not changed, but I think Mets fans have reason to be concerned about the Braves right now. It will all come down to the head to head season series. It’s as simple as that.
As a baseball fan, would love to see deGrom come back and be “deGrom” again, but how many pitchers age 34 and up not named Verlander miss an entire season (we just passed the one year mark since he’s pitched ) and come back as good as they were before?
on the flip side. How many pitchers were as good as degrom before going on the disabled list? even a mediocre degrom would probably be a number 2 or 3 on most teams.
Beyond just the talent level of the Braves, the thing people are forgetting about this division race is that, on paper coming in, the Mets early season schedule, for the second straight season, has been softer than what it will consistently be for the rest of the season. That’s a big contributor as well that I feel helps the Braves. The other NL East teams have had more difficult schedules to start the season, so when it balances out, it makes a difference in how the Mets continue forward and how the Braves continue forward (which is what happened last year too).
As for a complete meltdown for the Mets, I don’t think it happens this year, but I would not be surprised if they fall a bit and have some bad streaks as they consistently play a tougher schedule. It’s just that this year’s roster seems more equipped to handle better than last year (assuming that age doesn’t hit some of this year’s roster as the season moves on and stamina and fatigue become a factor).
based on current ytd the strength of schedule the rest of the way for the mets are just a few teams tougher than the braves.
You also have to factor in that d’arnauld has rarely hit 100 games (3 years ago) and even then i think only 3 times in his career of 10 years. Not speaking volumes for a guy in his mid 30’s especially when he is already at 50. Could he stay healthy possibly but for him he has been injury prone. Along with that you have 2 potential aces coming back for the Mets which strengthens the bullpen as you potentially move some of these current starter to bullpen.
Soroka and Albies i know are eventually coming back but his replacement has been pretty good as well so will that be a plus or a wash with potentially one of them hitting the bench or platooning.
The hardest portion of the Mets schedule was June and they went 13-12. That’s without their best pitchers. So I do think they’ll be able to hang on, but if the Braves sweep the Mets just once, it’s an entirely different division race. I do not think the NLE gets a wildcard because the Mets and Braves have so many games left against each other. The Phillies are much better lately. Marlins are significantly better than their record shows. Meanwhile the Cards and Brewers will be feasting on the Cubs, Reds and Pirates. While 2 or the NLW teams will likely get in there. So it very well may be division or bust for the NLE.
Disagree. Only one of STL or MIL will make the playoffs, with the rest coming from the east & west. Both teams are only .500 vs the Cubs, & they both have gaping holes in their pitching staffs. Zero consistency also.
I hope you’re right, but the Cubs, Pirates and Reds are very bad. So I expect the Cards and Brewers to take advantage down the stretch. NLE has the Nationals, but other than that, everyone is tough. NLW has 3 very good teams.
@MFB Have you looked at the Mets September schedule? It’s easy, and will likely get easier because the teams they play will be sellers.
Because the Braves played a month of the easiest schedule in baseball and the Mets played out west? Guess what the Mets schedule gets dramatically easier and the Braves now get tougher and the Mets have the two best pitchers in baseball about to return.
While I agree that the Mets and their fanbase have plenty of reason not to worry, I would say that your statement isn’t fully true. The Mets played those same teams the Braves played and while they came away with a winning record, the Braves swept more teams. The Braves aren’t getting enough credit for their monster June. The Phillies aren’t either, albeit theirs was less impressive.
Baby him for a while. Too expensive to be on the shelf. Availability is one of the keys to being valuable.
A rested Scherzer and deGrom will be the Mets (not so) secret weapon come October.
Remember when Scherzer pitched for Washington and asked them to have all his salary deferred? He got the first of his deferred payments today, a good $15 million. That gave the Mets an incentive to announce his return.
And in case anyone isn’t already aware, happy Bobby Bonilla Day.
Huge lift for the Mets. The lead in the division has been shrinking.
Braves a better all around team. So like 2015 – up to NYM to address weaknesses at deadline
Mets and Yankees have weaknesses to address, the Astros just showed NY that the road to a championship still goes through Houston.
It’s early, but NYY vs. HOU looks like the real World Series.
That certainly would be interesting
i will bet you a grand us currency the NYY and HOU dont meet in the world series
The point is that the national league doesn’t compare.
damn look at all the american league world series winners over the last few years …
2021 Atlanta Braves Houston Astros 4-2
2020 Los Angeles Dodgers Tampa Bay Rays 4-2
2019 Washington Nationals Houston Astros 4-3
2018 Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1
2017 Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3
2016 Chicago Cubs Cleveland Indians 4-3
2015 Kansas City Royals New York Mets 4-1
2014 San Francisco Giants Kansas City Royals 4-3
2013 Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals 4-2
2012 San Francisco Giants Detroit Tigers 4-0
2011 St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers 4-3
2010 San Francisco Giants Texas Rangers 4-1
4 world series wins out of 12 world series for the AL and one of those have a big asterick next to it. Or does winning the actual world series not matter since you say Hou and NYY are the real world series. I do agree that most roads lead through houston.
I would love to see a subway series but i dont think the yankees have the depth in the starting rotation and have been fortunate that there have been no injuries to them, but also correct me if i am wrong none of them outside gerrit cole have over 150IP in a few years if ever and right now they are on pace for just under 180 innings each not including playoffs.
It didn’t look like Atlanta would win last year.
The National league is better then the American League.The astros hit three Mets at the right time. The Dodgers, Padres, Braves and Mets are all better equipped to win the World Series then anyone in the American League.
I think it’s fair to say the National League is stronget overall, but it’s not fair to say anyone in the NL is better than the Astros and Yankees. Astros, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers are all basically on the same level IMO.
Mets weaknesses are the bullpen and maybe needing a back end starter. Shreve and Rodriguez are awful, and Carrasco/Bassitt are slipping a bit (though their FIP is good). Walker imploded in the second half of last year, too, and Megill is out for a while. Getting Scherzer/deGrom back would be a huge lift, but health is a factor with them, obviously.
I could see them trading for bullpen help at the deadline and *maybe* adding a starter.
i agree with you but i think with degrom and max coming back that moves bassit to 3 carrasco to 4 and walker to 5 with pederson becoming a lefty swing man in the pen. I also see megill coming back into a trevor williams type role long man, spot starter that or you could also pair pederson and megill to be a 6th game tandem for a complete game and reduce bullpen usage and give the starters an extra day of rest to keep fresh. .
Offense is their weakness. Lack of slugging beyond Alonso.
Let the madness begin
Scherzer vs Alcantara on Sunday. That’s one to watch