Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (thumb) came away from Sunday's start against the visiting Kansas City Royals with a little thumb soreness, which impacts his grip strength going forward. The coaching and training staff will continue to monitor Scherzer as he prepares for a light bullpen session on Tuesday, but manager Bruce Bochy still expects him to be good to go on Friday in Baltimore for a showdown against the Orioles in his next scheduled start. The 39-year-old veteran right-hander made his season debut against the Royals on Sunday, tossing five scoreless innings and appearing to come away unscathed in Texas' win, but fantasy managers will have to monitor Scherzer's status throughout the week and consider him day-to-day before he's evaluated again on Tuesday.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer made his much anticipated season debut against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The 39-year-old threw five shutout innings, while allowing only one hit in the win. Scherzer also struck out four batters while walking no one with only 57 pitches. The expectation is that the Rangers are going to ease Scherzer back into things. It's worth noting his velocity was down a bit, but that clearly wasn't much of an issue during this outing.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back/thumb) will make his 2024 debut on Sunday, June 23, against the Kansas City Royals. The 39-year-old was initially scheduled to make his debut on Saturday, June 22, but instead, he will take one extra day to prepare for his season debut. Scherzer has been on the 60-day injured list since May 15 after undergoing back surgery in the offseason and was on pace to make his season debut much earlier but had to remain sidelined for some more time as he dealt with a thumb injury during the early part of the season. The three-time Cy Young winner has looked quite sharp in his two rehab starts, where he logged eight innings with 13 punchouts and 0.92 WHIP. The right-hander should be rostered in all leagues as he should provide solid strikeout numbers during the summer and should be in line to receive several win opportunities pitching behind a competing Rangers team.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back, thumb) won't make his season debut on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. There was speculation that Scherzer would be getting the ball this upcoming weekend. Instead, right-hander Jon Gray will get the starting nod against the Royals on Saturday. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer hasn't suffered a setback and could possibly start on Sunday. Fantasy managers will have to stay tuned for more updates.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back, forearm) threw around 25 pitches in a bullpen session over the weekend on Saturday before the team's win over the Miami Marlins and continues to progress. Scherzer gave two thumbs-up on Sunday because he was able to throw without nerve pain. Depending on how he recovers, manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer could potentially face live hitters on Monday. "I feel great, finally turning the corner on this. The check engine light just won't go off, there's something wrong with the engine, but we addressed it and now everything is firing on all cylinders," Scherzer said. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer was moved to the 60-day injured list on May 15 after experiencing nerve pain in his right triceps and forearm. He has yet to pitch in 2024 after having offseason back surgery, but barring another setback, he could make his season debut before the All-Star break in mid-July.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (thumb) is scheduled to throw a "full" bullpen session on Wednesday. This seems like good news after the veteran right-hander was pulled off a rehab assignment earlier this month due to a nerve issue. The hope is that Scherzer can ramp up his activities and start a rehab assignment in early June. There is no current timetable for Scherzer, but at least this sounds like Scherzer is headed in the right direction.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (elbow, neck, triceps) said he has had MRI exams on his elbow, neck and triceps and all of the imaging has come back clean. Scherzer is going to attempt to play light catch on Wednesday and will learn to manage his neck issue. The 39-year-old three-time Cy Young winner had surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a disc issue in his back and was hoping to return in May, but he was placed on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday and now won't be eligible to return before May 27. A recent thumb injury caused him to be shut down, which essentially assured that he wouldn't make his season debut for the defending champions until June. For now, there's no timeline on Scherzer's return, although his Hall of Fame resume makes him deserving of being stashed in all fantasy leagues.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) said that he was given a cortisone injection in his right thumb after undergoing additional tests on Wednesday. Scherzer is feeling better after the injection and apparently isn't dealing with any kind of ligament damage after he passes strength tests with his thumb. The 39-year-old three-time Cy Young winner's timetable has been pushed back due to this setback with his thumb, but the good news is that he was scheduled to play catch on Friday for the first time since reporting discomfort in his right thumb and forearm. The Rangers aren't going to rush Scherzer back, so fantasy managers might have to wait until early June now to get him back into their starting lineups.

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young said that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) has been shut down from throwing for a few days while still dealing with a right- thumb/forearm issue. Scherzer doesn't have a timetable to resume throwing, but Young said he won't throw again until any tightness/discomfort is gone. The Rangers aren't going to take any chances with the 39-year-old veteran, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since having surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a herniated disc in his back. Scherzer's thumb became a problem after his first minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock on April 24. Originally hoping to return to Texas' starting rotation in May, Scherzer could now be pushed back until June, depending on when he resumes throwing. With Dane Dunning (shoulder) now in the injured list, Jose Urena should stay locked into the rotation for at least a bit longer.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Saturday that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is still in a holding pattern until his right-thumb soreness subsides. The Rangers pushed Scherzer's scheduled minor-league rehab start for Double-A Frisco on April 30 back a few days because of his thumb soreness. He traveled with the team to Kansas City on Friday but has yet to throw off a mound since being pushed back. "He's not at a point where he can play catch. Every day he's getting a bit better, but it's slower than he would like. You can't rush it. It's day to day with this thing before he gets on the mound," Bochy said. Scherzer was originally slated to return in late June/early July after having surgery on his back for a herniated disc on Dec. 15, but his timeline has accelerated and he should be able to rejoin Texas' rotation in May, barring any further setbacks.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is likely to make his next minor-league rehab start next week. He started a rehab game at Triple-A Round Rock last Wednesday and dealt with some lingering thumb soreness that pushed his next appearance back a few days. Apparently, that outing will come sometime in the next seven days as Scherzer said his thumb is improving. The 39-year-old is a risky fantasy asset due to potential injury reoccurrence, but he is still worthy of a roster spot if he has a place to be stashed. Scherzer still probably needs a couple of starts to build his arm up before joining the Rangers. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers can anticipate his return sometime in mid-May.

The Texas Rangers are pushing right-hander Max Scherzer's (back, thumb) next minor-league rehab start with Double-A Frisco back a few days after he experienced some soreness in his thumb after his last outing at Triple-A Round Rock, according to general manager Chris Young. Scherzer will hopefully make his next rehab start by the end of the week. The 39-year-old's surgically repaired back has apparently held up well, though, which is the main takeaway here for fantasy managers that have been stashing the three-time Cy Young winner. In his lone rehab start with Round Rock, Scherzer allowed three earned runs while walking none and striking out four in 2 1/3 innings, so he still has a ways to go to build up his arm before making his 2024 MLB debut. Barring setbacks, Scherzer should be back in Texas' rotation at some point next month.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw two-and-a-third innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, allowing three earned runs on five hits (two home runs), no walks, and four strikeouts. The veteran threw 52 pitches, which was the expectation heading into the game. The 39-year-old will likely make at least one more start, working his way up to 60-70 pitches next time out, before rejoining the Rangers at some point in May. Scherzer was solid in 2023's regular season, going 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA (3.77 SIERA), and a 1.12 WHIP, but his K-BB% of 20.8% was his lowest since 2014. He had a rough postseason, going 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, and a 4.8% K-BB% over three starts. Hopefully he's able to shake off the rust and get back to form, both for the Rangers and for fantasy managers.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) made his first appearance of 2024 in Wednesday's minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock, surrendering three runs on five hits (two home runs) with four punchouts. The long ball plagued Scherzer a year ago as well, serving up 28 homers over 27 starts, so fantasy managers hope he's getting those issues out of his system before he rejoins the major-league roster. With Scherzer's target being an early-May return to Texas' rotation after offseason back surgery, he appears likely to make at least two more rehab starts before becoming available to fantasy managers. Even so, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer has a chance to crush the late-round ADP he carried in the spring due to concerns he'd be out until midseason. Last season, Scherzer recorded a rock-solid 3.20 ERA (3.41 FIP), 0.95 WHIP, and 53:15 K:BB over 45 frames (eight starts) after joining the Rangers.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) is slated for a rehab start on Wednesday. Scherzer recovered well from his live batting practice session and the team feels comfortable enough to move him forward in his recovery process. The expectation is that Scherzer may be ready to return to the Rangers' rotation in early May. The 39-year-old was solid in the regular season with the Rangers in 2023, posting up a 3.20 ERA in eight starts. Scherzer did show some cracks late in the season, though, and expectations for the veteran right-hander may need to be tempered by fantasy managers who are used to Scherzer's gaudy numbers. When he joins the AL West leading Rangers, his value may be best in DFS formats

The Texas Rangers are now hoping that right-hander Max Scherzer (back) can return from the injured list in early May after originally believed to be out until maybe late June. Scherzer threw 25 pitches during a live batting practice session on Monday and is expected to throw 40 pitches in a another live BP session on Friday. If he comes out of Friday's session all good, he could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment after that. Scherzer said he's still a bit cautious about his return from surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, but this is still a very positive development for the Rangers and fantasy managers that have been stashing Scherzer since the regular season started. Don't expect ace-like numbers from the 39-year-old at this point in his career, but when healthy, Scherzer can still act as a solid mid-rotation fantasy starter.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back) could now be ready in early May despite initial evaluations placing his likely return around June or July, and his first minor-league rehab start could potentially come as early as next week. Scherzer threw 25 pitches of live batting practice at Comerica Park on Monday and said the next step is throwing 40 pitches on Friday. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer had surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back on Dec. 15. General manager Chris Young said Scherzer attempted several "conservative treatments in pain management," including an epidural, but the pain never went away, which is why he had offseason surgery. Scherzer probably isn't going to be a fantasy ace any more, but he's still plenty capable of delivering a dominant outing every now and then if he can remain healthy after he returns from his back injury.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) threw a bullpen session without any issues on Tuesday. The plan is for Scherzer to progress to facing live hitters in a batting practice session next week. The 39-year-old remains without a timetable to return, but the expectation is that Scherzer is back before the start of June. That being said, Scherzer is worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues while he continues to make progress in his recovery from back surgery.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. He said his arm is feeling good and described this period as "early February" for him if he didn't have the rehab for his back injury. Scherzer said there are still hurdles to jump through, but he said he respects the process of the rehab he's currently going through. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer underwent back surgery in December to fix a herniated disc in his back, which is why he's not ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. The Rangers don't have plans to put Scherzer on the 60-day injured list, which means that he could make his return to Texas' rotation before the end of May. That would be a best-case scenario. While Scherzer can still be an asset in fantasy, his days of being an ace are likely behind him at this point, especially coming off injury.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) continues making progress from his offseason back surgery and was able to play catch on Wednesday. The veteran right-hander won't be ready for Opening Day, but might not miss too much time. Rangers manager Chris Young doesn't believe that Scherzer will need to be placed on the 60-day injured list. Instead, Young suggested that Scherzer could be back as early as May. The Rangers are likely going to be cautious with the 39-year-old. His injury might push him back into the later rounds of fantasy drafts.