Max Scherzer Eyeing Rangers' Return 'Sooner than Later' Amid Back Injury Rehab

The Texas Rangers placed Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list following December surgery on a herniated disk rather than the 60-day injured list, fueling hope that he might be able to return sooner this season than initially suspected.

"It's kind of early February for me right now," he told reporters Thursday regarding where he would be in his prep work during a normal offseason. "Just have to come in and continue to do the rehab, do the process, and hopefully I'm back out there sooner than later."

Scherzer, 39, worked two innings in a Tuesday bullpen session, saying his "body felt good the next day, so that was a big check mark for me."

But there's still plenty of work to be done.

"It's one thing to throw a bullpen," he noted. "It's another thing to get into a game, then you start to ramp up pitch count. So there's still a number of hurdles to cross."

When the Rangers eventually get Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle back from injury, the team will have one of the nastier rotations in baseball, even with last year's ALCS hero, Jordan Montgomery, departing for the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, two-time World Series champion and eight-time All-Star, pitched well for the Rangers after being acquired in a midseason trade with the New York Mets, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across eight starts.

But a strained right teres major muscle ended his regular season. And while Scherzer returned in the ALCS against the Houston Astros and made two starts, he was pulled after just three innings in Game 3 of the World Series due to back issues and didn't return.

Given his age, it's fair to question if injuries will become a more regular concern for Scherzer going forward. Outside a tough stretch with the Mets last season by his own lofty standards (4.01 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 19 starts), however, he's shown little sign of decline when healthy.