The Toronto Blue Jays signed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal over the offseason, but he’s only pitched one game due to his thumb injury. The 40-year-old allowed two runs across three innings in a 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on March 29.
The Blue Jays (18-20) could use a healthy Scherzer since they rank just 23rd in baseball with a 4.35 team ERA. The back of the rotation has been unreliable in the two-time champion’s absence, as right-hander Bowden Francis (2-5, 5.66 ERA) and southpaw Easton Lucas (2-2, 7.41 ERA) are fourth and fifth on the team in games started, respectively.
However, Toronto announced encouraging news about Scherzer before its 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday, via MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31).Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
“Blue Jays injury updates from [manager] John Schneider:
• Max Scherzer to face live hitters again Sunday or Tuesday…Then likely one more before he pitches in rehab games.
• [Erik] Swanson and [Ryan] Burr both threw in the FCL today,” he reported.
“Next stop for both of them, I think, will be [Triple-A] Buffalo,” Schneider said.
#BlueJays injury updates from John Schneider:
• Max Scherzer to face live hitters again Sunday or Tuesday… then likely one more before he pitches in rehab games.
• Swanson and Burr both threw in the FCL today, Swanson. “Next stop for both of them, I think, will be Buffalo.”
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 9, 2025
Swanson (forearm) and Burr (shoulder are both relief pitchers who haven’t played this season. The former is 10-16 with a 3.97 ERA, 10 saves, and 59 holds in 240 career appearances, while the latter is 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA and seven holds in 100 games.
Toronto is one game behind the Boston Red Sox for second place and four games behind the New York Yankees for first in the AL East.
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