Signing Max Scherzer this offseason was a possible gamble for the Toronto Blue Jays. After the beginning pitcher already suffered an harm, it is truthful to marvel if it might backfire.
On Sunday, the Blue Jays positioned Scherzer on the 15-day injured record due to irritation in his proper thumb. He has battled this thumb subject since 2023.
Per the Associated Press, Toronto supervisor John Schneider stated the pitcher will see a hand specialist for his thumb within the U.S. on Monday.
“Hopefully this sort of resets him and knocks it out,” Schneider stated of Scherzer’s thumb harm. “We clearly want him. Elite pitcher, and we would like him to really feel his greatest.”
This comes after Scherzer exited his first begin towards the Baltimore Orioles with lat soreness. Towards Baltimore, he threw solely 45 pitches in three innings, permitting two dwelling runs. (The Orioles gained 9-5.)
In a postgame information convention, the 40-year-old defined his lat subject and thumb harm are “one hundred pc associated.”
“All the pieces is compensating due to that thumb. The thumb is barely higher, however I nonetheless have discomfort in there,” Scherzer stated, through The Athletic’s Rebecca Tauber. “My arm is making changes due to that. That is a recipe for catastrophe.”
Scherzer’s harm replace highlights why this signing could not pan out for the Blue Jays. He has gained three Cy Younger Awards in 18 seasons however hasn’t began in 30 video games since 2021.
In 2024, he was recovering from again surgical procedure and did not make his first begin for the Texas Rangers till June 23. A nerve drawback, shoulder points and a hamstring pressure restricted him to 9 begins.
Scherzer could not pitch at an elite stage when he returns. Final season, he posted the second-lowest strikeout share (22.6%) of his profession, per Baseball Reference.
Scherzer’s potential replacements — Easton Lucas and Yariel Rodriguez — do not encourage confidence. Lucas — who was recalled from Triple-A — has no begins within the majors. Rodriguez, in the meantime, went 1-8 in 2024 and logged a 4.47 ERA in 21 begins.
Maybe the Blue Jays ought to’ve thought twice about including Scherzer. Signing the growing old, injury-prone pitcher has left a possible gap of their rotation.
