Max Scherzer’s second rehab start originally scheduled for Tuesday night for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies has been moved to Wednesday after having discussions with the veteran right-hander.
“We sat down and talked about it,” Showalter said on Tuesday. “Just giving him an extra day.”
The decision will not impact the number of starts he’ll make in the big leagues upon his return — which could be as many as three before the All-Star break next month if Wednesday night goes well.
There was an initial hope last week that he could return from the strained left oblique for Sunday’s big-league start against the Miami Marlins after throwing a first rehab start in Binghamton last week.
On Friday, though, the team announced that Scherzer wasn’t ready yet and that he would need one more ramp-up outing.
“I just hit a plateau in this,” Scherzer said over the weekend. “I am trying to pitch and do rehab at the same time, so coming out after that start, doing a core routine afterward, throwing a bullpen, doing a core routine, it was a lot and I got a little sore.”
It would have been well ahead of the six-to-eight-week timetable for a return, which is something he is still ahead of right now, so there remains to be little concern.
“You look at the history of this injury, he’s right where he needs to be,” Showalter said. “He’s ready to go. He thinks he could pitch here [Citi Field] tonight.”
Scherzer has been out since mid-May due to the strained left oblique, prompting the first extended injured-list stint of the 37-year-old, three-time Cy Young Award winner’s career.
“I hope it goes well,” Showalter said. “Listening to Max and watching everything, it felt like we had the benefit of an extra day… We’re just listening to Max more than anything… There’s no reason to rush it. I’m not going to make that mistake.”
