PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets scratched Max Scherzer from his regularly scheduled start on Saturday but did not provide a reason. Scherzer has been dealing with a hamstring issue in recent days, multiple sources confirmed. It is unclear whether that played into the decision to scratch him.
Scherzer had been scheduled to start a Minor League intrasquad game Saturday morning at Clover Park. Instead, relievers Miguel Castro and Adam Ottavino served as the starting pitchers.
Scherzer became the presumptive Opening Day starter when the Mets lost Jacob deGrom to a stress reaction in his right scapula. Now, his future is in doubt. The three clearly healthy starters in the Mets’ rotation are Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker. Depth options include Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Trevor Williams. As of Saturday morning, the Mets were also reportedly discussing a trade that would bring Padres pitcher Chris Paddock to Flushing.
A Mets spokesman said the team would provide an update on Scherzer’s situation later Saturday.