Max Scherzer ditching Dodgers in free agency after 2021 was clearly a blessing

Los Angeles Dodgers fans don't exactly have a soft spot for veteran pitcher Max Scherzer, and it's easy to understand why. Once regarded as one of the best trade deadline acquisitions ever, Scherzer brought his three-month stint in Los Angeles to a screeching halt with a disappointing failure in the 2021 postseason.

Scherzer's short Dodgers career came to an end when he didn't make a scheduled start in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves because of arm fatigue. Atlanta went on to win the game, ending the series and the season for the defending World Series champs.

Scherzer went on to test the market in free agency after the 2021 season, ultimately choosing to sign with the New York Mets. He was dealt at the deadline once again in 2023, this time to the Texas Rangers, who went on to capture a World Series title. For Dodgers fans, it just added insult to injury and intensified their curiosity (and bitterness) over what might have been.

Max Scherzer ditching Dodgers in free agency after 2021 was clearly a blessing

As the Rangers continue to struggle in 2024, Scherzer has been experiencing some struggles of his own. At the beginning of August, he landed on the injured list for the third time this season – this time, with shoulder fatigue.

After multiple MRIs came back clean, it was determined that Scherzer's injury was, in fact, not an injury at all. It was simply nerve irritation, and he believes he has figured out the solution. The 40-year-old, three-time Cy Young Award winner has since said that a change in mechanics has alleviated the nerve irritation in his throwing arm, and he is set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock this coming weekend.

He may have figured out the cause of this latest setback, but Scherzer's injury woes have plagued him for the entire 2024 campaign. It's September, and Scherzer is 2-4 with a 3.89 ERA over just eight starts on the season. He is in the final year of his contract, while the Rangers are 9.5 games back of a Wild Card spot and already shifting their focus to 2025.

Los Angeles' pitching staff has experienced more than its fair share of injuries this season; so, in that regard, Scherzer would fit right in with the present-day Dodgers. But yet another injured pitcher is the last thing this team needs. Dodgers fans may be bitter about the way he left Los Angeles, but it's apparent that Scherzer wouldn't be doing them much good at this juncture, anyhow.

More Dodgers content from Dodgers Way