Rangers' Max Scherzer Faces Batters, Hoping for Playoff Return From Shoulder Injury

All hope is not loss when it comes to the possibility of seeing Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer suiting up in the playoffs.

The three-time Cy Young award winner was shut down for the remainder of the regular season on Sept. 13 after suffering a right shoulder strain. However, he threw to live batters Friday, increasing the belief that he could potentially land on Texas' postseason roster, according to ESPN's David Schoenfield.

"I felt good," Scherzer said. "I've got to recover. I've got to see how I wake up tomorrow and see what this does to the arm."

Scherzer threw two innings in a simulated game against his teammates, going nearly 40 pitches deep before stepping off the mound to some approval from manager Bruce Bochy and pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The initial reports following Scherzer's injury indicated that he wouldn't be able to pitch in the postseason but he has seen improvement sooner than expected.

During an 18-pitch second inning Friday, he struck out Mitch Garver and Austin Hedges and recorded five swing-and-misses, a very good sign for the 39-year-old right-hander.

However, it's not all clear sailing for Scherzer just yet and he's not trying to rush back into things too soon.

"I respect the recovery process," he said. "I understand what I'm going up against in the recovery process."

Even without Scherzer—who was acquired from the New York Mets just ahead of the trade deadline—the Rangers' pitching staff was dominant in the team's Wild Card series win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

In two games, starters Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi both pitched pretty deep into their respective outings and Texas surrendered just one run to the 99-win Rays.

Now, with the red-hot Baltimore Orioles on the horizon, the Rangers are considering brining in Scherzer in a relief role to help out a bullpen that struggled to the tune of a 4.77 ERA, worst among the 12 playoff teams.

The former World Series champ said he's open to any role thrown at him, though it's unclear if he'll ultimately make the roster.

"That's not my decision," he said. "We'll have a discussion about it. But it's October and all hands on deck. I'll do whatever it takes to help the team."

In eight starts for Texas, Scherzer went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 0.956 WHIP.