Max Scherzer is due back in the Mets’ rotation on Tuesday and Jacob deGrom also is taking significant steps in that direction. But Chris Bassitt was scratched from his scheduled start Friday and assigned to the IL. 

The Mets didn’t officially list Bassitt’s ailment, but a source confirmed to The Post the righty was placed on the COVID-19 list. Lefty David Peterson started in place of Bassitt for the game Friday against the Rangers at Citi Field. 

“It’s society in general. We have people in all walks of life that have to deal with it, so why should we be any different?” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s part of it. As soon as we found out that it could be progressing that way, we made sure that Pete was aware.” 

Peterson, whose wife is due to give birth in the coming days, allowed two runs over a season-high seven innings in his previous start, Sunday at Miami. 

“He was in here [Thursday] with [pitching coach] Jeremy [Hefner] getting ready, on his normal rest,” Showalter said. “It’s funny, he came up to me today and said, ‘I need to talk to you.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t tell me you just got the phone call [about the baby].’ Because one of you [reporters] would have been pitching tonight. 

“But it looks like he may leave after the game. We’ll see. If he needs to, fully supportive, if he needs to go.” 

Big-name rotation reinforcements, of course, finally appear to be on the way. Scherzer made a second rehab start Wednesday for Double-A Binghamton in Hartford, and the three-time Cy Young winner expects to make his first start since suffering an oblique injury on May 18 on Tuesday at Cincinnati. 

“We’re shooting for that,” Scherzer said, adding he hopes to be capped at about 90-100 pitches. “It’s been a process. For me, this is the first time I’ve ever had an oblique injury, and trying to really understand what I can and can’t do, what type of stresses I can do to it, where it’s strong and obviously things that would be too much. 

“I feel like I understand what that is now. But I should be in a much better spot as we tone down the rehab part of this and focus more on just the pitching part. Now it’s just more of a maintenance thing of what I need to do on my other four days to keep it strong and not let this happen again. I’ll be doing this for the rest of my career.” 

The 34-year-old deGrom also remains “ready to make his next progression,” according to Showalter. The Post has reported that will be the start of a minor league rehab assignment for Single-A St. Lucie, as soon as Sunday. The two-time Cy Young winner hasn’t pitched at all this season due a stress reaction in his right scapula. 

“He’s continued to fall on every mark that we have for him,” Showalter said. “Just trying to stay on each day as it comes and not try to get ahead of ourselves. He will continue to be in Port St. Lucie area for a while. … We’re real happy about his progress. So far, so good. He’s met every benchmark, so to speak.” 

In the absence of the co-aces, Scherzer credited Peterson, Trevor Williams and others for helping the Mets remain in first place in the NL East. 

“It’s been frustrating because you always want to be out there, but let’s also give some guys some credit here,” Scherzer said. “They’ve played some really good baseball during this whole period. Trevor Williams has thrown the ball extremely well for us. David Peterson has thrown the ball extremely well for us and given us quality innings. 

“So guys like that deserve a lot of credit for how well we’re playing. And then you’re getting contributions up and down the lineup, as well. So the team’s in a good spot, playing good baseball and we gotta continue that going forward.”