Mets’ Scherzer misses start against Reds due to neck spasms

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This article was published 09/05/2023 (1182 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CINCINNATI (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night due to neck spasms.

Left-hander David Peterson was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start the opener of a three-game series.

The start would have been Scherzer’s second since a 10-game suspension by Major League Baseball for violating the prohibition on foreign substances during an April 19 game at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed six runs and eight hits over 3 1/3 innings at Detroit in his return on May 3, leaving the 38-year-old right-hander 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in five starts this season.

Scherzer was limited to two starts for the Washington Nationals between June 30 and Aug. 22, 2019, because of a mid-back strain and a rhomboid strain. He was scratched from Game 5 of that year’s World Series because of neck and back spasms, then started Game 7 three days later and pitched five innings without a decision as the Nationals beat Houston for their only title.

Scherzer started feeling a problem after throwing a light bullpen on Sunday.

“It started feeling barks, so I got some treatment during the game,” he said Tuesday. “When I woke up Monday, it was seriously locked up. Once it’s locked up, it takes a few days to unlock.”

He added that he expects to make a start during New York’s six-game trip that concludes with a three-game weekend series at Washington.

“I’m pretty confident,” he said. “What day it is, I don’t know.”

New York also placed relief right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis on the 15-day injured list with a left quadriceps strain, a move retroactive to Monday. ___

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