New York Mets right-hander Max Scherzer will not start Sunday's series finale against the Oakland Athletics as originally planned because of lingering back soreness. Scherzer's appearance will be pushed to Wednesday after undergoing imaging on the area "below his scapula," according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
The Mets will start right-hander José Butto in Scherzer's place.
Scherzer, 38, has posted a 4.41 ERA (98 ERA+) and a 2.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first three outings this year. Scherzer's velocity is down so far this year as compared to last season. Whereas his four-seamer averaged 94 mph in 2022, he's at 93.1 mph in 2023. It's unclear if Scherzer's velocity slip can be attributed to a physical issue, or if there's a different factor at play.
Butto, 25, has made one big-league appearance before. That came last August, when he surrendered seven runs on nine hits over four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. In two Triple-A appearances this year, Butto has a 1.86 ERA and a 1.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Mets are currently without two other veteran starting pitchers. Justin Verlander is expected to make his season and club debut later this month. José Quintana, meanwhile, will miss the first half of the season. Both Verlander and Quintana were signed as free agents over the winter.
The Mets will continue their West Coast swing next week. On Monday, they'll open a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Scherzer will be in line to start the series finale. The Mets will then head to San Francisco to play four games to close out the road trip.
