Former Washington Nationals RHP and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer announced that he had surgery on his back for a herniated disk on Thursday, according to Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young.
Young said Scherzer attempted several “conservative treatments in pain management,” but the pain never went away. “I'll tell you this. Max, in my experience, has a very high threshold for pain, and he also knows his body well,” Young said. “When he is feeling something, he's very open and honest about how he's feeling. I think it's been helpful for us in terms of managing these things.” q
"After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer said in a statement. “During this time I received the diagnosis of a herniated disk. After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery. Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer."
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The 39-year-old, three-time CY-Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion ace was traded by the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers at the Trade Deadline this past season for prospect Luisangel Acuña. Max Scherzer made eight starts for Texas down the stretch, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA.
As many Washington Nationals fans know, during the 2019 season Scherzer was sidelined due to back ailment issues and then was scratched from a Game 5 start in that year’s World Series with the Nationals due to neck and back spasms. Scherzer eventually returned to start Game 7.
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