Max Scherzer Frustratingly Exits Game Against Toronto With Injury

PublishedSeptember 13, 2023 9:15 AM EDT|UpdatedSeptember 13, 2023 9:15 AM EDT

Max Scherzer suffered a right triceps spasm on Tuesday and was removed from the mound mid-game for the Rangers.

Texas Rangers fans were devastated when their ace had to exit early against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Scherzer appeared in discomfort and frustration after a pitch to Bo Bichette in the sixth inning.

Manager Bruce Bochy pulled Mad Max after he threw two warm-up pitches.

"When I threw that first curveball to Bichette, it just felt like a charley horse," Scherzer said after the Rangers' 6-3 win.

Fellow Texas right-hander José Leclerc stepped in to replace the three-time Cy Young Award winner. Scherzer exited the game with 73 pitches thrown.

TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 12: Max Scherzer #31 of the Texas Rangers meets with trainers and coaches on the mound before leaving the game in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)

Terrible Timing For 'Mad' Max Scherzer

Despite a recent slump, the three-time Cy Young Award winner proves to be efficient in the postseason, which the Rangers plan on making this year.

Scherzer will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. His injury is terrible for the Rangers as they pursue a postseason spot in a tight Wild-Card race.

After Tuesday's win, the Rangers are 80-64 and slotted at second in the AL West. Texas is one game behind the Houston Astros.

He added, "When I got on the mound and was trying to go through my motion, I could just tell it didn’t release. I could feel I just wasn’t going to be able to throw another baseball."

TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 12: Max Scherzer #31 of the Texas Rangers walks through the dugout after leaving the game in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)

"We did not want him to pitch through it," skipper Bruce Bochy said. "We were not going to take any chances there. It's too bad because he really had good stuff."