ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start for the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, then put on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain that means his season is over.
Dane Dunning replaced Scherzer as the starter for the middle game of a series against the AL wild card-chasing Seattle Mariners. The Rangers recalled right-hander Gerson Garabito from Triple-A Round Rock.
“Max woke up today, said his hamstring was tight, tight the point where he said he couldn’t go,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Felt it yesterday running some sprints. Just didn’t clear up like he was hoping.”
Scherzer (2-4, 3.95 ERA) has made only one start for the Rangers since July 30. The 40-year-old right-hander was activated from the injured list last Saturday after missing 40 games with right shoulder fatigue and an arm nerve issue in his arm. He struck out six while allowing one run and four hits over four innings.
“He's been trying hard to get back out there pitching,” Bochy said. “You want him out there. And we were hoping to see him out there on a consistent basis. We had some things that we were trying to figure out with the arm. Now it's the hamstring. It's been a tough year for him.”
Scherzer is in the final season of his contract. The Rangers acquired him from the New York Mets in a deadline trade last summer after the pitcher agreed to opt in on that final year for this season at $43.3 million — with New York paying $30.83 million.
After offseason back surgery, Scherzer dealt with the nerve issue during his rehab and didn't make his season debut until June 23. His nine starts this season are his fewest since seven as a rookie for Arizona in 2008.
His 3,407 career strikeouts are 11th on baseball's all-time list, and second among active pitchers behind fellow three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. Scherzer's 216 career wins are also second to his former teammate for active pitchers.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Texas Rangers starter Max Scherzer delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
BERLIN (AP) — Team World just needs two more match wins to claim the Laver Cup a third straight time.
Team World won three of four matches from Team Europe on Saturday to take an 8-4 points lead into the third and final day in Berlin.
After Friday's matches were split evenly, Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz beat top-five opponents and Ben Shelton and Alejandro Tabilo crushed Europe's Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-2.
Team Europe's only win came from Carlos Alcaraz, the French Open and Wimbledon champion. He beat Shelton 6-4, 6-4 with one break in each set. Alcaraz saved all five break points he faced. Shelton conceded his first sets in his fifth career Laver Cup match.
Tiafoe, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals, beat No. 5 Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 6-4 (10-5) for the first time in six attempts.
“Midway in the second (set) and in the tiebreak, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly,” Tiafoe joked while smiling at Federer, who was in the stands.
No. 7-ranked Taylor Fritz, the U.S. Open finalist, upset No. 2 Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-5 for his third consecutive win over the German. Fritz hit 27 winners to Zverev's 11.
The day ended with Shelton's and Alejandro Tabilo's doubles rout.
The Laver Cup is formatted like golf's Ryder Cup. The first team to 13 points wins. There are four matches on Sunday, each worth three points.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Team World's Frances Tiafoe returns to Team Europe's Daniil Medvedev on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Team Europe's Daniil Medvedev returns to team World's Frances Tiafoe on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Team World's Frances Tiafoe, right, shares a light moment with Team Europe's Daniil Medvedev on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Team World's Frances Tiafoe reacts during a match against Team Europe's Daniil Medvedev on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Team World's Frances Tiafoe, right, shares a light moment with Team Europe's Daniil Medvedev on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Team World's Frances Tiafoe celebrates after he beat =med- on the second day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
