Max Scherzer's comments on injury return still making Blue Jays fans feel uneasy

It feels like it’s make or break time for Max Scherzer and his thumb. Sure there is tons of baseball left to play this season, but with Scherzer scheduled to start this evening in Cleveland, Toronto fans are likely going to be holding their breath with every pitch he throws.

Max Scherzer's comments on injury return still making Blue Jays fans feel uneasy

The hope is the 40-year-old veteran has finally gotten over his thumb ailment that has plagued him all season. After signing a one-year $15 million contract in the offseason, the former Cy Young Award winner has pitched all of three innings for the Blue Jays in 2025. After a lengthy rehab stint, he’s slated to go against the Guardians tonight, but it could be an outing that brings more worry than ease.

Blue Jays reporter Hazel Mae posted the following on X: Max Scherzer threw between 30-40 pitches in his bullpen Today. Confirmed he'll pitch Wednesday in CLE. "My stuff is fine," he told me & Shi Davedi. "I'm trying everything I can to manage this (thumb) and make sure I can recover..."There's no knowing, just have to get out there"

It’s not the most encouraging statement from the future Hall of Fame pitcher as the Blue Jays sorely need some stability in the rotation after also losing Bowden Francis to the injured list. Francis had not pitched well this season, with a 6.05 ERA in 14 starts before landing on the IL. Between Francis’ struggles and Scherzer’s absence, the back end of the rotation has been cobbled together with spot starters and bullpen days and the results haven’t always been great.

Hand injuries are never linear and can completely derail a player’s season or even affect them for multiple years. Jays’ fans may remember the Aaron Sanchez blister injury of 2017 that turned into a strained ligament in his middle finger. Sanchez had a career 2.86 ERA in 41 games prior to the injury between 2014-2016. He also led the league with a 3.00 ERA in 2016, while he racked up an ERA+ of 146, 249 strikeouts and a bWAR of 8.4. He threw in just eight games in 2017 due to the injury and was never the same again.

The Blue Jays are hoping that isn’t the same fate for Scherzer who also isn’t expected to be the same ‘Mad Max’ of hold. If he can give them a reliable four to six innings every fifth day, that will be more than enough to stem the tide for a Blue Jays pitching staff that is starting to show signs of wearing thin.