CINCINNATI — The Mets are hopeful Max Scherzer’s literal pain in the neck won’t turn into a figurative one for the team.

Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Reds with neck spasms, the latest disappointment for the right-hander over a three-week stretch in which he has been suspended by MLB and has pitched through discomfort near his right scapula.

The veteran felt neck soreness following a workout Sunday at Citi Field and awoke the next morning with his neck “locked,” he said.

It’s not the first time he has dealt with neck spasms — he missed a start in the 2019 World Series with the Nationals because of the ailment.

David Peterson was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start in Scherzer’s place and gave up four runs in 3 ¹/₃ innings in a 7-6 loss — after Justin Verlander volunteered to move up a day and pitch. Justin Verlander will remain in his scheduled Wednesday start and manager Buck Showalter said Scherzer could potentially be reinserted into the rotation for the series finale Thursday.

Kodai Senga is scheduled for that start.

“It’s easy to be frustrated about it, but at the end of the day it’s nothing I did,” Scherzer said. “It wasn’t like I was doing something stupid or something like that. I did my workouts and could feel it coming on and tried to get in front of it, but it didn’t. It blew up on me, so there is literally zero regret. There is no second-guessing on anything I have done. It just happened.”

Scherzer told The Post on Sunday he was “fighting like hell” to avoid the IL as he dealt with discomfort below his right scapula that surfaced before he was suspended 10 games by MLB for violating the rules on foreign substances.

Overall, Scherzer has pitched to a 5.56 ERA in five starts this season.

“The only thing that is frustrating about it is I haven’t pitched well this year,” he said. “I want to get back out there and get on track and do it. If we are frustrated about this it’s because of how I pitched and I just want to get out there and pitch and pitch well and get over this and then get going on this year. That is probably the reason for the frustration: it’s more based on how I pitched and not necessarily the actual neck spasms.”

In his return from the suspension last Wednesday in Detroit, the right-hander lasted just 3 ¹/₃ innings and allowed six earned runs on eight hits with two homers.

He later said he was encouraged that everything went fine physically for him during the start.

Could the neck spasms be related to the back discomfort?

“That’s a fair thought,” Scherzer said. “Is this coming from the back? But at the same time I have had neck spasms without having a scap[ula] injury. So it’s tough to sit there and say this is directly related to the scap, although we are dealing with something on the right side. I can’t sit there and say one way or the other.”

Verlander returned from the IL last week after missing the first month of the season rehabbing from a strained teres major muscle.

The Mets are still without Carlos Carrasco and Jose Quintana.

Carrasco pitched three innings for Double-A Binghamton in a minor league rehab appearance Tuesday. The right-hander is returning from swelling in his right elbow that was caused by a bone chip.

Quintana is out until at least July following rib surgery in spring training.

Peterson, who entered with a 7.34 ERA in five starts this season, earned a spot in the rotation during spring training following Quintana’s surgery.

But the left-hander was demoted following a fourth rough outing in five starts.

Jimmy Yacabonis was placed on the IL with a left quad strain, allowing Peterson to be recalled.

Peterson was still within the 15-day window a pitcher must remain in the minor leagues after getting optioned.