Max Scherzer said he has no plans to end his Hall of Fame career on this season.
Starting just eight games because of injuries and ailments, the Texas Rangers right-hander said he plans to pitch in 2025. A free agent at the end of this season, Scherzer might not wind up back in a Rangers uniform again.
He is in the final season of a three-year, $130 million deal he signed with the New York Mets in November 2021.
“When I’m out there, I’ve been able to compete,” Scherzer told The Dallas Morning News. “I can still pitch at a high level. I look at things like my slider, which I went into the season wanting to fix, and it’s been really good. I still see myself as able to compete and win.”
Still, the 40-year-old hopes to be off the 15-day injured list and back on the mound for the Rangers soon. He went on the list earlier this month, retroactive to July 31, with fatigue in his throwing shoulder.
He last pitched July 30 in the Rangers’ 8-1 road loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and threw 68 pitches.
Scherzer missed the first 2 1/2 months of the season while recovering from back surgery. He is 2-4 with a 3.89 ERA over eight starts (39 1/3 total innings) on the season.
A 17-year veteran, Scherzer is 216-112 with a 3.16 career ERA and has collected three Cy Young Awards, eight All-Star appearances and two World Series titles.
Among active pitchers, he is second to Justin Verlander in wins and innings (2,874). With 3,405 strikeouts, he has the most among active pitchers, seven ahead of Verlander.
The Rangers acquired Scherzer from the Mets at the 2023 trade deadline, but he has appeared in just 16 games with the Rangers. He’s 6-6 with a 3.52 ERA over 84 1/3 innings with 91 strikeouts.
Scherzer is expected to throw in the bullpen on Sunday. After that, he and the Rangers will decide the next step, which could be a rehab outing or return from the IL.
“Everything feels good,” Scherzer said after 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday, per the Morning News. “I think I’ve just tried to essentially do spring training in-season and that’s something I’ve never done before. This time, I thought I would need about five extra days. I needed about an extra week on top of that.”