New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday night in Cincinnati against the Reds due to neck spasms, the team announced just hours before first pitch.
Southpaw David Peterson was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to make the start.
While the extent of the issue is not known as of yet, it is initially believed to not be a major issue that could result in an extended time on the injured list.
It’s been a tumultuous start to the 2023 campaign for Scherzer, a future Hall-of-Famer who is beginning to show the wear and tear that comes with a successful 16-year MLB career.
After dealing with an oblique strain last season that put him on the injured list for a considerable amount of time, Scherzer owns a 5.56 ERA over his first five starts of the season. He most recently yielded six runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings of work against the Detroit Tigers on May 3.
That outing was his first start back from a 10-game suspension he picked up on April 15 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers when umpire Phil Cuzzi deemed the combination of sweat and rosin that continuously appeared on Scherzer’s hand and glove was too sticky to be legal.
The Mets’ rotation was already in a precarious position before Scherzer’s scratch.
Justin Verlander recently made his season debut after dealing with a shoulder strain dating back to the end of spring training while Carlos Carrasco was scheduled to make a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday as he works his way back from a bone spur in his right elbow and an illness.
Jose Quintana has also been sidelined until at least July after undergoing rib surgery back in March.
