Three starting pitchers who are extremely valuable to their respective team’s rotation are all at different stages with their injuries and the returns from them. Here is an injury update on Walker Buehler of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Max Scherzer of the New York Mets, and Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals.
Injury update: Max Scherzer, New York Mets
Scherzer reportedly threw 50 pitches in a simulated game at Citi Field on Thursday. Barring any setbacks, Scherzer could pitch in a minor league game on Tuesday and then potentially be called up to take his spot in the Mets rotation.
As we noted in this article, Mets owner Steve Cohen has been very optimistic about Scherzer returning from a left oblique strain quicker than the original timetable. If things keep progressing along this timeline, it appears that Scherzer will do just that and be back in the New York rotation well before the end of June.
Injury update: Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers
After undergoing surgery earlier in the week to remove a bone spur in his elbow, Buehler still faces a 10- to 12-week recovery timeline for that and the Grade 2 right flexor sprain that originally landed him on the injured list on June 11.
It is possible that Buehler could return in time for the postseason, which would be a welcome boost for the Dodgers. However, a timeline will become clearer once Buehler enters into the throwing part of his rehabilitation.
Injury update: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
While Buehler and Scherzer are expected to return to their respective teams in 2022, the same can not be said definitively for Strasburg, who Jon Heyman reports is suffering from a recurrence of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) symptoms. Those are the same symptoms that caused Strasburg to undergo surgery last summer and sidelined him until June 9, a start in which he was shelled by the Miami Marlins for eight hits and seven runs in 4.2 innings.
Heyman reports that, while there is still nothing official on Strasburg, there is a “fear” among the Nationals that the 33-year-old right-hander could once again be sidelined for an extended period of time.