When it rains, it pours.

Max Scherzer was scratched from Tuesday’s start against the Cincinnati Reds due to neck spasms, the Mets announced. David Peterson has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and will take the ball for Buck Showalter’s club in Cincinnati.

The 38-year-old Scherzer has struggled mightily this season, posting a 5.56 ERA in five starts this season.

The aging right-hander, who signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets in November 2021, missed a month and a half from May-July last season with an oblique injury.

The three-time Cy Young award winner already missed time this season due to a sticky-stuff 10-game suspension for breaking MLB’s foreign substance policy after he was ejected from an April 20 game against the Dodgers.

Showalter’s squad has endured a number of injuries to the starting rotation this season. Justin Verlander just returned in Thursday’s loss to the Tigers — tossing five innings and allowing two runs — Carlos Carrasco remains on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation and Jose Quintana has yet to take the mound this season — and is not expected to for a while — with a rib legion.

The Mets have struggled out of the gate (17-18), being seven games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East as the club has dropped 11 out of its last 14 games. More pitching injuries likely won’t help the case as its 4.74 team ERA ranks No. 22 in all of baseball.

It remains to be seen if Scherzer will miss significant time or if delaying his scheduled start is merely a precaution.

The Mets also announced that reliever Jimmy Yacabonis (left quad strain) has been placed on the 15-day IL as the corresponding move to get Peterson on the roster. Yacabonis has appeared in five games for the Mets allowing nine runs in nine innings.