Right-hander has made one rehab start already and was slated for a second one but will be delayed a few days after experiencing some sorene s in his right thumb, GM Chris Young told the Rangers beat last night ( via Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Theyre hopeful he can make his next start this week. The 39-year-old Scherzer has spent the entire season to date on the 15-day injured list while he mends from offseason back surgery. He was excellent in eight starts down the stretch last year, pitching to a 3.20 ERA with a 29.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate following the trade that sent him from the Mets to Texas. The original thought was that Scherzer would be sidelined into June, but the Rangers held off on placing the three-time Cy Young winner on the 60-day injured list with his recovery ahead of schedule. Theres no indication that his back is providing any problems, so a suming the thumb injury proves minor, a mid-May return still feels viable. Texas currently ranks 14th in the majors with a 3.87 ERA from the rotation. Thats thanks largely to strong showings from , and each of whom has made six starts. Left-hander impre sed early but has since gone on the injured list with a stre s fracture in his rib. Veteran has struggled in five starts, and rookie was hit hard in his big league debut. Right-hander , who signed a late-spring one-year deal, has helped solidify things through his first three starts but a return from Scherzer would be a substantial boon to the staff, of course. Scherzer is just one of three veteran starters on the mend for Texas. and are both expected back later in the season. on Mahles rehab from Tommy John surgery, noting that he and Rangers prospect not only coincidentally had their Tommy John Forrest Whitley Jersey procedures performed on the same day last year but performed by the same surgeon: Dr. Keith Meister. Rocker has begun throwing all of his pitches off a mound, while Mahle is also pitching off a mound and will join his teammates on their upcoming road trip. Mahle and Rocker arent yet to the point where theyre facing live hitters, but each is progre sing well through the rehab proce s. Things arent going quite so well for pitching prospect . Young revealed yesterday that the right-hander has been diagnosed with a strained rotator cuff and will be sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined period as a result of that shoulder i sue ( via Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com). Church, 23, was the teams 18th-round pick back in 2019 signing for an over-slot $300K bonus and has emerged as a prospect of note in the Rangers system, . Church has mi sed bats in bunches throughout his minor league tenure, fanning 34.7% of his total opponents. A former high school shortstop who didnt begin pitching until his senior year, he draws praise for his athleticism and could yet have some untapped upside as hes still relatively new to pitching. MLB.coms report on him notes that he has a pair of plus-plus (70-grade) offerings when his heater and slider are at their best but lacks consistency. Church has also begun to encounter some command troubles in the upper minors. He split last season between Double-A and Triple-A, walking a combined 14% of his opponents. He also fanned just shy of 30% of batters faced, however. Church opened the current season with a solid 4 2/3 innings out of the pen before going down with his current injury. Hes already on the 40-man roster and stands as a candidate to make his big league debut in 2024, particularly after a strong spring showing: 10 2/3 innings, five hits, three runs, five walks, 14 strikeouts. If Church is able to get back on the mound without a long-term absence, he could still find his way to the big leagues this season, but its not entirely clear how feasible that is in light of this setback. The Rangers will presumably have more updates on the promising young righty in the weeks to come. Jason Heyward Jersey
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