Rangers could get big boost to pitching staff for ALCS

The Texas Rangers might be getting a huge lift to their pitching staff for the start of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. 

Pitcher Max Scherzer, one of the team's big trade-deadline acquisitions, said on Friday that he is "ready to go" following a bullpen session, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). 

Scherzer was not on the Rangers' wild-card or divisional series rosters as he dealt with a muscle strain in his shoulder. He has not pitched in a game for the Rangers since Sept. 12. 

They acquired him at the trade deadline from the New York Mets in the hopes that he could provide another front-line starting presence to their rotation. The 39-year-old appeared in 27 games during the regular season with a 3.77 ERA. That includes eight starts with the Rangers with a 3.20 ERA.

He was supposed to be a huge part of the Mets rotation this season along with fellow veteran and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. When the Mets season started to become a major disappointment, both players were traded. Verlander ended up getting traded to the Astros, the Rangers' ALCS opponent.

If Scherzer is ready to go it remains to be seen what sort of role he would have. He said on Friday that he is confident he can get batters out, but is unsure how far into a game he could go. That could leave him as an option for the bullpen. 

His Friday bullpen session came after a 68-pitch simulated game on Wednesday. 

If the Rangers are going to get back to the World Series for the first time since the 2011 season and continue their incredible postseason run, they are going to need all of the pitching help they can get to stop the powerful Astros' lineup. The Rangers are 5-0 in the playoffs but are going to be against a playoff-tested team in Houston that is loaded offensively with Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Jose Abreu and Yordan Alvarez leading the way.