Tevez earned the wrath of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and the Argentinian is currently suspended by his club.
But Scholes has expressed sympathy for former Manchester United team-mate Tevez after admitting he went through a similar experience at United.
"I know Carlos quite well. He's a player who wants to be playing," Scholes told BBC Radio 5 live.
"When he's a sub, it will be killing him.
"It's totally up to the manager but Carlos wouldn't have been thinking that. He'll be thinking, 'The manager is against me, why is he not bringing me on? I'm City's best player and he's not playing me'.
"I'm not saying he [Tevez] is right - it's totally up to the manager."
Scholes, who retired from playing in the summer to take up a coaching role at United, refused to play in a League Cup tie in 2001 having been dropped for the previous game against Liverpool.
Scholes explained: "You think you should be playing and my head was all over the place. I thought he [Sir Alex Ferguson] was messing me about, wrongly really. It's up to him what he does with his team.
"I realise it was stupid. I let the manager down and it was something I regretted. It's probably similar to Carlos Tevez's state of mind if it is true he refused to come on."
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk