Mets’ Scherzer to return from IL Tuesday vs. Reds; Bassitt scratched
NEW YORK » Max Scherzer is scheduled to return to the New York Mets’ rotation Tuesday in Cincinnati after missing over a month with a strained left oblique muscle.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, has been sidelined since straining his oblique while pitching against St. Louis on May 18.
Scherzer made a pair of rehab starts for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and threw 80 pitches Wednesday against the Hartford Yard Goats. The right-hander allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in 4.2 innings, striking out eight and walking one.
“I have a much better grasp on what this is,” Scherzer said Friday. “I definitely crossed that six week timeline so you feel a lot more confident. You feel it’s starting to get in my rearviewmirror.”
New York scratched Chris Bassitt from his start against the Texas Rangers on Friday night and placed the putcher the injured list for an undisclosed reason.
Manager Buck Showalter alluded that the right-hander was dealing with COVID-19.
“It’s society in general,” Showalter said. “We got people in all walks of life that have to deal with this. So why should we be any different”?
CUBS 6, RED SOX 5 » Rookie Christopher Morel homered in his third consecutive game, and Chicago rallied to beat Boston.
The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead and looked like they were ready to roll to an easy win after going 20-6 in June.
Boston starter Rich Hill, who debuted with the Cubs in 2005, gave up three runs and three hits in 4.2 innings.Hill appeared to be shaking his leg at one point in the fifth and was visited by an athletic trainer.
BLUE JAYS 9, RAYS 2 » José Berríos stopped his three-start winless streak, Vladimir Guerrero
Jr. drove in three runs, and Toronto celebrated Canada Day by beating Tampa Bay.
Yankees reinstate Chapman
CLEVELAND » Aroldis Chapman’s got his spot back on the Yankees’ roster. His role coming out of the bullpen remains undefined.
New York reinstated the left-handed reliever from the injured list on Friday after Chapman missed more than a month with tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon.
Chapman, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 22, made two minor league rehab appearances at Double-A Somerset and one with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.