In Saturday afternoon’s tilt against the Orioles, Max Scherzer was pulled from the game after three innings with a lat injury. Scherzer’s postgame interview shed some light on the injury
Max Scherzer says lat soreness he experienced “is 100% related to the thumb.” Felt discomfort in warmups but tried to fight through it to save bullpen. Left game when he felt “imminent danger” of significant injury. “I got to get this 100% before I pitch again,” he said.
— Shi Davidi (@Shi Davidi) March 29, 2025
As previously mentioned by our own Zach Thompson, the nerve injury Scherzer is dealing with in his thumb could easily cause problems with his lat, and Mad Max confirmed that is the case.
The three-time Cy Young winner was taken deep twice in the first inning but bounced back with two scoreless frames before being removed. Unfortunately, the Toronto bullpen was shelled for 6 earned runs over the next 2 1/3 innings to deliver Baltimore the victory and a 2-1 lead in the opening series. The loss only darkens the cloud that now hangs over the team. Nobody ever wants to see the big offseason acquisition go down after one start.
Scherzer was scheduled to take the mound next Friday against the Mets, but given his comments about needing to be 100% and the nature of the injury, he seems destined for an IL stint. Further testing will shed light on how long the absence will be.
