Max Scherzer is expected to make another appearance at Nationals Park on Friday, although this time it won’t be wearing a Washington Nationals jersey, as he is scheduled to open the second game of the season for the New York Mets.
“Mad Max” has been recovering from a hamstring injury and has stated that he has been feeling much better and is ready to return to action. He has had bullpen sessions that have corroborated his words since he has shown himself with ease and naturalness, so everything seems to indicate that he will be given the go-ahead to take the mound on Friday in the second game of the series between the Mets and the Nationals, who have Josiah Gray as their scheduled starter for that day.
This news will resonate positively with the Mets, who were warned a few days ago that their ace and one of the best pitchers in MLB, Jacob deGrom, is likely to miss several months of the season as he is also dealing with injuries Consequently, the return to action of Max Scherzer, a pitcher who has always shown a competitive and winning attitude throughout his career, may help deal with these months of deGrom’s absence.
First appearing in MLB with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the late 2000s, this would be Max Scherzer’s 14th consecutive season in the majors. Facing the Nationals will surely cheer him up immensely as he spent seven years of his career in Washington upon arriving from the Detroit Tigers in 2015.
He marked an era for the Washington franchise, as during his tenure with the team he was called to the All-Star Game six times, led the National League in strikeouts in three campaigns, led the NL in wins in two seasons, won two Cy Young Awards, was a two-time All-MLB first team member, pitched two no-hitters in a single season in 2015 and was crowned a World Series champion in 2019.
How was Max Scherzer’s Last Season?
The Mets knew they were acquiring an important piece when they signed Max Scherzer to a 3-year, $130 million offseason contract following his short stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021.
Although the veteran pitcher is 37 years old, Scherzer posted his best ERA season in 2021 (2.46), though he pitched the third-fewest innings (179.1) in a full campaign (excluding the shortened 2020 season) since his 2008 debut. He also struck out 236 batters, and his opponents batted just .185, which is the second best record of his career in that category.
Without a doubt, his arrival in Queens promises much, and New York Mets fans will be hoping he can help the team win its first divisional title of 2015.