Max Scherzer is going on the 15-day injured list due to another issue with his left oblique, Mets manager Buck Showalter disclosed on Thursday prior to his team’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is expected to miss one or two starts before returning — which is as good a scenario when seeing an ace going to the IL.
The 38-year-old exited Saturday night’s game against the Washington Nationals after just 67 pitches and five innings due to fatigue on that side. It immediately raised concerns about that left oblique, which was injured earlier this season and held him out for nearly seven weeks.
“I don’t have any strains. The left side was just getting more tired than usual,” Scherzer said after his outing, initially providing hope that there was no injury. “This was a precautionary move, considering the history of the oblique. Was there a scenario where I could go out there and pitch the sixth and be OK? Yeah. That could’ve happened. But if I went out for the sixth and got hurt, I could never come in here and look the guys in the face and say I made the right decision. It was better to be safe than sorry in this scenario.”
