Scherzer (hamstring) said after his bullpen session Tuesday that he expects to start the Mets' second game of the season Friday against the Nationals, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though Scherzer reported that his sore right hamstring was feeling fine coming out of the bullpen session, he doesn't think he'll be ready to make Thursday's Opening Day start in Washington, which opened up after Jacob deGrom (shoulder) was shut down. The Mets could choose to treat Thursday as a bullpen day or have No. 5 starter Tylor Megill take the hill that day before reordering the rotation if in fact Scherzer is ready to go Friday as he anticipates. Before he's locked in to start Friday, Scherzer is scheduled to go through fielding drills Thursday as one final test to ensure that he's not compromised by the hamstring issue, according to Pat Ragazzo of SI.com.

Scherzer (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Buck Showalter said the Mets will assess how Scherzer's tight right hamstring responds to the throwing session before determining whether he's capable of making the team's Opening Day start Thursday in Washington. The Opening Day nod became vacated last week, when ace Jacob deGrom was diagnosed with a shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined for at least four weeks. With deGrom on the shelf and Scherzer's status for Opening Day iffy, Tylor Megill has likely secured a spot in the Mets' rotation to begin the campaign.

Scherzer has been scratched from his intrasquad start against Mets minor leaguers Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

No reason was given by the team for the late scratch, but Tim Healey of Newsday reported it was due to right hamstring tightness, an issue Scherzer has been dealing with the last few days. The veteran right-hander should be considered day-to-day, and his availability for Opening Day on April 7 against his former club, the Nationals, is now in question.

Scherzer (hamstring) will start an intrasquad minor-league game Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Scherzer indicated Friday that he's dealing with a tweaked hamstring, but he'll still make his scheduled start in Saturday's instrasquad matchup. While the Mets will presumably monitor the right-hander's status during the start, his injury doesn't appear to be a major concern. As long as Scherzer doesn't experience any issues Saturday, he figures to serve as the Opening Day starter against the Nationals on Thursday.

Scherzer said Friday that he's dealing with a hamstring tweak but isn't concerned about the issue, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Scherzer tossed six innings during a Grapefruit League appearance against the Cardinals on Sunday but is apparently dealing with a hamstring issue with less than a week remaining until the regular season. While the injury is considered minor, it's not yet clear whether the right-hander will be forced to miss time early in the 2022 campaign. Any potential absence would be a major blow to the Mets' rotation since Jacob deGrom (shoulder) has already been ruled out indefinitely. If Scherzer is healthy for the start of the season, he's the favorite to start the team's Opening Day matchup against the Nationals on April 7.

Scherzer allowed one run on three hits over five innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

The workload was big for this early in camp, but the abbreviated spring schedule is pushing Scherzer to get ready a little quicker than usual. He fired 55 of 72 pitches for strikes, and the veteran right-hander appears to be on track to meet his goal of being able to throw 100 pitches once the regular season begins. Scherzer posted a dazzling 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 34.1 percent strikeout rate over 179.1 innings in 2021 for the Nationals, and even at 37 years old, he seems capable of matching that performance in his first campaign with the Mets.

Scherzer is hopeful that he'll be able to stretch out to 100 pitches by Opening Day, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Scherzer has reported to spring training after a new collective bargaining agreement was reached this week, but players will have an abbreviated timetable to prepare for the new April 7 Opening Day. However, the right-hander said that he has a "real good shot" to be stretched out to 100 pitches by the start of the regular season. Scherzer inked a mammoth three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets in late November and will form a strong tandem with Jacob deGrom (elbow) to begin the 2022 campaign.

Scherzer and the Mets came to terms Monday on a three-year, $130 million contract that includes an opt out after the 2023 season, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the $43.3 million annual average value of Scherzer's deal is the most in MLB history, besting the $36 million AAV that Gerrit Cole received from the Yankees in the megadeal he signed in December 2019. The 37-year-old will join Jacob deGrom (elbow) to give the Mets one of the best one-two combinations atop a rotation in baseball history, with the two right-handers having claimed five Cy Young Awards between them, including four of the last six in the National League.

Scherzer and the Mets are expected to finalize a three-year, $130 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 236 strikeouts while finishing third in the National League Cy Young Award balloting, Scherzer had no shortage of suitors in free agency, even as he heads into his age-37 season. Few teams were willing to offer the sort of compensation the Mets were, however, and New York looks like it'll have another ace-level pitcher to pair with Jacob deGrom (elbow) atop the rotation once some minor details are ironed out with the contract. The pending acquisition of Scherzer adds to what's already been a splashy offseason for the Mets, who recently reached deals with outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha and infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Scherzer (arm) could start a potential Game 7 of the NLCS on Sunday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Scherzer played catch ahead of Game 6 on Saturday and said afterward that he felt as though he "turned a corner." The right-hander has dealt with arm fatigue throughout the NLCS, but he isn't dealing with any structural damage.