CHICAGO — Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy described Max Scherzer’s status Tuesday as a “holding pattern,” but with each passing day, the likelihood grows that Scherzer’s time with the team could be over.

Scherzer, 40, last pitched in St. Louis on July 30, leaving the start after four innings with a flagging velocity and an ailment described as shoulder fatigue. Since then, his recovery has been hit and miss. He expected to miss a start, but needed more time and ended up on the injured list. He was scheduled to start for Double-A Frisco last Friday, but was ruled out and re-evaluated this week by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister. Bochy said Tuesday that the exam found nothing concerning, but Scherzer “needed a couple more days to see how he felt” before he could pitch again.

However, Scherzer has now missed four weeks, meaning the throwing program would likely take longer and require more rehab. The Rangers were scheduled to play Game No. 133 on Tuesday.

“I think we have to be honest,” Bochy said. “It’s a long way into the season. This was a setback. It’s going to be a while before he starts throwing. When we get back (to Texas), we’ll have to see where he is.”

Other factors are at play, too. Namely, how many starts can the Rangers afford for Scherzer? The focus of the season has changed. Although they want to finish strong, they will activate Jack Leiter to start on Wednesday and intend to give him some starting time in September. Jacob deGrom, who was scheduled to make his second rehab start on Tuesday, could return to the rotation within 10 days, and his starts will be important as he puts recovery from elbow surgery behind him. Cody Bradford, considered a strong candidate for the 2025 rotation, was limited to nine games (eight starts) by an early-season injury and did not return until July 30. Additionally, the Rangers will continue to have Nathan Eovaldi start regularly.

The roster also becomes a problem. While the rosters can be expanded on September 1, they can only expand by two players to 28. If the Rangers want to look for more players, they will need to create more roster spots. Putting Scherzer on the 60-day IL would create an open roster spot, but would rule him out for the rest of the season.

The Rangers signed Scherzer at the last deadline in July. He has appeared in 16 regular season games for the club, posting a 3.52 ERA in 84 1/3 innings. He has also started three postseason games, allowing seven runs in 9 2/3 innings.

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