Will Scherzer's back tightness be a major wrinkle for Toronto's rotation?

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer suffered some back tightness in his most recent start against the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday and it hopefully won't impact the team or his health past this outing. He's been a bulldog for the Blue Jays in 2025 and he needs to stay healthy for the team to continue to perform well. He's been so good this year, Toronto should entertain the idea of re-signing him.

Against the Brewers, Scherzer had an abridged outing compared to the rest of his performances this season as he pitched only four innings, giving up nine hits, four runs, and two home runs while striking out only one batter on 67 total pitches. Scherzer had gone eight consecutive starts pitching at least five innings, so this outing against the league's top team was a bit underwhelming to say the least.

Scherzer did go on Foul Territory with former catcher AJ Pierzynski to clear up the back tightness issue, calling it a "minor issue." The 41-year-old right-hander has been a reliable pitcher for the Blue Jays down the stretch and his role on this team's playoff push is a lot larger than anyone could have predicted earlier this year.

He missed nearly three months due to injury earlier in 2025, so this injury being a more 'minor' one is surely music to Blue Jays fans' ears. If he can be healthy as the playoffs get closer and closer, the team looks much better than it would without him. If Scherzer were to go down with an injury at this point in the season, Toronto's rotation loses a massive amount of consistency.

Even in his 18th big-league season, Scherzer still boasts an incredible fastball - one with a +8 Run Value according to Baseball Savant; the 11th-best mark among starting pitchers in the American League this season. He's also shown a very strong ability to limit free passes, with just a 5.7% walk rate on the year and ranking in the 87th percentile in this area. Plainly put, he's been well worth the shot-in-the-dark signing this past free agency.

The Blue Jays' rotation has been a point of stability all season long, and Scherzer has been one of their most reliable arms since his return from the IL. All Toronto needs is for Scherzer's body to hold up for a playoff run and the remaining games in the regular season and things should then be looking good for the Jays.

Scherzer might be one of MLB's oldest players, but he's still one of the most consistent arms in 2025. The Toronto Blue Jays took a gamble on a 41-year-old pitcher with plenty of injury issues in recent years and it's paid dividends to them. Scherzer's recent health scare in the form of back tightness isn't much to worry about, and hopefully it doesn't resurface at any point down the road this year.