Mets' Max Scherzer scratched from Tuesday's start due to neck spasms
Mets ace Max Scherzer has been scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday night vs. the Cincinnati Reds due to neck spasms.
SNY's Andy Martino reports that the neck issue is considered minor and the team does not think there is a scapular injury.
David Peterson has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, he'll make the start in Scherzer’s place, with Jimmy Yacabonis landing on the 15-day IL due to a left quad strain.
"Woke up [Monday] with a bad neck spasm," Scherzer said on Tuesday afternoon. "When I woke up, I was locked. I told the team, came in on the off day yesterday and it was a neck spasm. On the treatment, there’s really nothing you can do for it other than rest, take some anti-inflammatories and go.
"It’s going to be a couple days, but that’s the good news that it’s only going to be a couple days."
Scherzer told The New York Post prior to the team leaving for this current seven-game road trip that he’s been “trying like hell” to avoid an IL stint while dealing with lingering soreness just “south” of his scapula.
He was asked on Tuesday if he felt the neck spasm was related to his scapula injury, saying that he couldn't say one way or the other, but he's had neck spasms in the past even when not dealing with any other issue.
"It's easy to be frustrated by it, but at the end of the day, there's nothing I did. It wasn't like I'm doing something stupid or something like that," Scherzer said. "I literally just did my workouts and could feel it coming on, tried to get in front of it and then I didn’t. It blew up on me. There’s literally zero to regret. There’s no second-guessing of anything I’ve done. It just happened."
He added later: "I think the only thing that’s frustrating about it is I haven’t pitched well this year. I want to get out there, want to get back on track and do it. I think that’s what the frustration is."
While Scherzer missing Tuesday's start comes at a tough time -- the Mets have lost 11 of their last 14 games -- the upside is that he's already feeling better and doesn't expect to be sidelined for long.
"I’m better today than I was yesterday. That’s the good (news)," he said. "That’s what gives me confidence that this is only going to be a day or two. And so, I should be back out there pretty soon, but I’ve got to be able to come in and play catch at a good clip before I can get that thumbs-up."
It's been a rocky season for the three-time Cy Young winner, as he's pitched to a 5.56 ERA and has also dealt with a 10-game suspension. Scherzer also had one of his starts pushed back earlier this season, when Buck Showalter said the righty was dealing with soreness following his April 10 outing against the San Diego Padres.
Scherzer spent time on the IL in 2019 as a member of the Washington Nationals, dealing with a handful of injuries related to the scapula/shoulder blade area. He was also scratched from starting Game 5 of the World Series that season due to neck spasms.
