Scherzer (oblique) out six to eight weeks

The New York Mets' most prized free-agent addition is out of commission.

The team announced on Thursday that right-handed starter Max Scherzer has a "moderate to high-grade" oblique strain and will miss the next six to eight weeks.

UPDATE: Max Scherzer has a "moderate to high-grade" oblique strain. He'll miss 6-8 weeks.

Scherzer, 37, started Wednesday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, but pulled himself from it during a sixth-inning Albert Pujols at-bat. The Mets went on to win the game 11-4.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets in the offseason, which brought with it the largest average annual value in major league history at $43.3 million.

Through eight starts this season, Scherzer is 5-1 with an earned run average of 2.54 and a 0.946 WHIP over 49.2 innings pitched.

A native of St. Louis, Scherzer is in his 15th season, having previously spent time with the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.