ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers placed right-handed pitchers Max Scherzer (rehabilitating from hip surgery) and Michael Lorenzen (right neck strain) on the 15-day injured list ahead of Thursday's season opener against the Chicago Cubs. I put him on the list and added first baseman Nathaniel. Lowe (right oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Scherzer, 39, underwent surgery for a herniated disc in December and was expected to miss several months of the regular season. Initial predictions were that the three-time Cy Young Award winner would go on the 60-day injured list and be sidelined until the end of May to begin the season, but general manager Chris Young He said that was unlikely. Scherzer was seen playing catch at Globe Life Field on Wednesday prior to the Rangers' preseason practice.
The two-time World Series champion made a quicker-than-expected return from a right teres contusion last year. He was expected to potentially miss the remainder of the season and went on the disabled list in September, but returned to pitching for Texas in the ALCS and World Series, before back spasms caused him to miss the Championship Series. He missed two games.
Scherzer said Thursday that it was too early to determine when he would return and that he did not want to set a schedule, but he pitched in a bullpen session on Tuesday and described his status as “early February.” An injury-free year.
“My arm is definitely ready,” Scherzer said. “The rest of my body started cooperating as well. That's how I got through this and worked on it. Given the situation I'm in right now, being able to get on the mound and being in the bullpen You can pitch in and that's kind of the first step to growing here.”
The Rangers signed the 32-year-old Lorenzen to a one-year contract on March 21. The Rangers opted to delay Lorenzen's start after the 2023 All-Star missed nearly all of spring training and was unable to pitch in an exhibition game. Up. Lorenzen threw a 28-pitch live bullpen session on Wednesday, but he will be placed on the disabled list retroactively to March 25, meaning he could be back as early as April 9.
“We were looking at pushing him to be on the opening day roster,” Young said Wednesday. “Physically, I don't think he's there yet. He missed spring training, but he still needs to build up his baseball game… That's not the responsible thing to do.”
Lowe has been on the injured list retroactively to March 25, but was diagnosed with a right oblique strain in early March. Young said Wednesday that Lowe is making “great progress” and that he has just resumed baseball activities, but the 28-year-old is still “several weeks” away from his return. The earliest Lowe could return is April 4.
“It's going to take some time,” Young said. “Nate obviously needs a little bit of a build-up and needs to get his rhythm and timing back from a hitting standpoint.”
Texas also placed right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernandez (right latissimus dorsi strain) on the 15-day injured list and right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Marr (rehabilitating from right elbow surgery) on the 60-day injured list. added. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom (also recovering from elbow surgery) is also scheduled to begin the regular season on the 60-day disabled list, and right-hander Carson Coleman (a Rule 5 draft pick) is scheduled to begin the regular season on the 60-day disabled list. (He is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery). ).
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