The Toronto Blue Jays had to make a difficult decision after star pitcher Max Scherzer left Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles with right lat soreness.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, pitched only three innings before leaving the game against the Orioles. According to Spotrac, Toronto signed the 40-year-old pitcher to a one-year, $15 million contract before the season.
Now, after only one start, Scherzer is heading to the 15-day IL, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
“Sunday morning, Scherzer was placed on the 15-day IL with right thumb inflammation, an issue that is directly tied to Scherzer’s lat problem,” Matheson wrote. “Scherzer said that Saturday’s problem was ‘100% related’ to his recurring thumb problem, which is why that’s the official designation for his IL stint.”
“This has plagued Scherzer years now, the frustration only growing, and it’s already crawled up his arm and shoulder to cause more serious issues in 2023, ’24 and now ’25. The Blue Jays knew they were taking on a level of injury risk with Scherzer, but it’s still March.”
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This isn’t the first time that Scherzer has dealt with injuries. He only appeared in nine games last season and expressed frustration with the recurring issue.
“I’m frustrated. I want to pitch. I know I can pitch,” Scherzer said. “I know I can throw the ball really well. Unfortunately, I have an issue going on that’s coming from the thumb. I’ve got to address this. I’ve got to zero out that thumb before I pitch again.”
Scherzer will miss at least two starts while injured and possibly longer. Though the Blue Jays believe they pulled him out at the right time, the team needs to fill the gap in the rotation left by Scherzer for the near future.
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