LOS ANGELES — Injured New York Mets ace Max Scherzer confirmed Saturday that his dog bit his pitching hand this week, but he says the wound won’t slow his recovery from an oblique strain.
The New York Post reported earlier Saturday that the right-handed Scherzer was bitten by a dog on his left hand, a second bizarre injury for New York this week after shortstop Francisco Lindor got his right hand caught in a hotel door and fractured the tip of his middle finger.
Scherzer, who has been out since May 18 and isn’t expected back until at least late June, confirmed the dog bite on Twitter, saying it was actually his pitching hand that got nipped. He also said his timeline for a return hasn’t changed.
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) June 4, 2022
“Just clearing up a few things,” Scherzer wrote. “My dog Rafi hurt her leg on a run. She was howling in pain and I went to calm her down by putting my hands on her. When I did that she bit my right hand. Fortunately it wasn’t a bad bite. I took one day off from throwing and was able to long toss the next day. This will have no effect on my rehab and this is literally a non story.”
Scherzer is 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA in his first season with New York after signing a $130 million, three-year deal in December.
Lindor missed the opener of a four-game series against the Dodgers but returned to the lineup Friday. The Mets remain atop the NL East at 35-19, challenging Los Angeles for the best record in the National League despite missing Jacob deGrom all season due to a shoulder injury.