While the New York Mets routed the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4 on Wednesday, the win came with some concern for the Mets and their ace, Max Scherzer.
With New York up in the sixth inning, Scherzer appeared to be on cruise control. But something went wrong on his 87th pitch and Scherzer quickly removed himself from the game.
Naturally, there was some immediate concern among Mets fans.
ugh, just hang on until hockey ends so i can suffer along with everyone else https://t.co/37Hefpic7U
— Liam McHugh (@liam_mchugh) May 19, 2022
Crapballs https://t.co/LYPK9QZMih
— Cousin Sal (@TheCousinSal) May 19, 2022
That’s the bad news.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that Scherzer was removed “due to left side discomfort.” He also noted that the fact that it’s not an arm injury is good, even if the possibility of significant missed time is still there.
That report brought a mixed reaction from baseball fans.
Every single @Mets fan exhaling now #LGM https://t.co/VwmEIsjfdt
— JDinFL
(@JDBetsFL) May 19, 2022
Agreed. This is probably a multi-week absence. That being said, it could have been a lot worse. https://t.co/CbuKXDFUZl
— Ken Borsuk (@KenBorsuk1) May 19, 2022
Better than an elbow or shoulder for sure… I’m gonna be cautiously optimistic https://t.co/dqZsrR993F
— James Hanson (@james_hanson28) May 19, 2022
I also have discomfort https://t.co/tJ5yJbvajD
— D.J. Short (@djshort) May 19, 2022
It is good that it is not the arm. Oblique or back, however, may not be ideal here. #Mets https://t.co/IbHhis6DFY
— Daniel Yanofsky (@DanYanofsky) May 19, 2022
This is definitely a classic, “good news, bad news” situation. An arm injury would have been the worst case scenario but if it is an oblique injury, the Mets will be without Scherzer for a while.
And there’s another issue with Scherzer that can’t be ignored — he’s 37. Scherzer has pitched remarkably well as he’s gotten into his mid-to-late 30s but at that age, every injury has to be taken seriously.
The coming days will reveal more about Scherzer’s status going forward. But given his age and how much he means to the team, expect the Mets to be cautious. It’s much better to have Scherzer miss some starts now than during the playoff race and certainly into the postseason.