Mets’ Scherzer out with strained oblique

New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to be out six to eight weeks with a strained oblique muscle in his left side, another blow to a New York pitching staff already missing ace Jacob deGrom.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had an MRI on Thursday, a day after he pulled himself from a start against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 1-1 count on Albert Pujols in the sixth inning after feeling “a zing” in his left side.

The team said the scan detected a moderate-to-high grade strain.

The 37-year-old righthander is 5-1 with a 2.54

Baseball notebook

ERA in eight starts after signing a $ 130 million, three-year contract.

DeGrom has been out since spring training because of a right scapula stress reaction, and he is not likely to pitch until late June or July.

Rangers

Three-time All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter was released by Texas from their Triple-A team Thursday, and became a free agent in a mutual decision. The 36-year-old Carpenter went to spring training on a minor league contract and accepted the assignment to Round Rock when he didn’t make Rangers’ opening day roster. Carpenter played his first 11 major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis paid a $2 million buyout instead of exercising its $18.5 million club option after last season when he hit .169.

Phillies

Slugger Bryce Harper did not start a fourth consecutive game on Thursday as he recovers from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. The reigning NL MVP, Harper had the injection Sunday because of a small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his throwing elbow that’s forced him into the role of designated hitter.