Mets pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a strained oblique muscle in his left side, the latest blow to a New York pitching staff already missing ace Jacob deGrom.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had an MRI on Thursday, a day after he pulled himself from a start against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 1-1 count on Albert Pujols in the sixth inning after feeling “a zing” in his left side.
New York said the scan detected a moderate-to-high grade strain of the internal oblique, a musle on the side that causes pain over the ribcage. Despte the injuries, the Mets lead the NL East by seven games, matching their season high.
“It’s a great opportunity for guys that we’re talking about bringing in here,” manager Buck Showalter said after a come-from-behind 7-6 win over St. Louis. “Got some guys that will meet us in Denver and try to hold fort. We got some rough estimates about when we’ll start to get some of these guys back.”
