Max Scherzer ‘found a way’ to overcome split thumb calluses in Mets win over Guardian

Max Scherzer He pitched six scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field as mets He went on to win 5-4 to improve to 4-1 at their current home.

A closer look at Scherzer’s outing shows that he relied heavily on his breaking pitches, ending up throwing 27 four-seam fastballs while throwing 30 curveballs and changeups combined.

As it turns out, he had good reason for that.

“I’ve been dealing with a split callus and thumb, so I was on a bad thumb today,” Scherzer said after the game. “So, the only thing I could really do, curve ball, I changed my grip on it, and surprisingly enough when you got your thumb on the curve ball, it actually ended up being one of the pain-free courts I could go on even today. It was Curveball And the changeup was pain-free for me today. Because of that, I was able to catch some good curveballs and use them when I needed them.”

Scherzer explained that the callus had originally split during his final start vs Washington Nationalsa start he said he was able to “navigate” through.

“You have to suck it up and go through it,” Scherzer said. “You’d rather get hurt and win than not pitch at all.

“I’ll be good at the next start, but you’ll have one start where you’re miserable.”

Sherzer likened throwing the ball on Sunday to playing a basketball player with a sprained ankle. And while he had obviously dealt with the sore injury all afternoon, he was able to hold the Guardians’ talented offense to just three hits while striking out five to go along with just one outing.

Three-time Cy Young winner has already been suffering from a few different health issues this season. From dealing with discomfort “just south” from the shoulder area to neck cramps that set back his previous start, it’s been a bit of a strange year for the 38-year-old.

But when the Mets needed him on Sunday, Scherzer delivered.

“I just found a way,” said the veteran. “Find a way to win, that’s all that matters. Get out there and work on playing and you really don’t take anything away from this other than how you compete and how you win. I went out there, gave the team six innings, and for me, I felt like I went out to There and I did my job by giving them six runs.

He added, “These are the big leagues. I hope it’s easy, but it’s usually the other way around. It’s usually really hard. That’s just part of being a big player. You’re not always going to feel good. In fact you’re going to feel bad some days. I feel like I was On a streak of this and it’s just part of the game. I’m not here to complain about it. Just suck it, throw, and win.”

“Obviously it’s working through a few things,” he said. Buck Showalter. “He got a little cut (on his thumb), but he made it through. It was the difference in the game.”