TORONTO – Max Scherzer is, properly, mad.
The 40-year-old surefire Corridor of Famer hoped to be a contributor for the Blue Jays when he signed a one-year, US$15.5 million contract with Toronto on Feb. 4. However lingering discomfort in his thumb hampered his means to prepare throughout spring coaching and led to a strained proper lat in an abbreviated three-inning outing on Saturday in his regular-season debut for the Blue Jays.
“I’m annoyed. I need to pitch. I do know I can pitch. I do know I can throw the ball rather well,” he mentioned after Toronto’s 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles when he gave up two dwelling runs. “Sadly, I’ve obtained a problem happening. It’s coming from the thumb, and I’ve obtained to handle this.
“I’ve obtained to zero out that thumb earlier than I pitch once more.”
Scherzer had an 80-pitch restrict heading into his Blue Jays debut however threw solely 45, giving up the 2 runs on three hits, putting out one. He had warned supervisor John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker of the compensatory harm in his lat after his pre-game warmups however he felt obligated to attempt to pitch to spare Toronto’s bullpen a protracted day.
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“I didn’t throw a pitch the place I had a zing, the place something went, the place it had a foul pitch, the place it felt a pressure or something,” mentioned Scherzer. “I actually don’t really feel prefer it has strained something, so I really feel just like the lat shall be OK, however I;ve obtained to determine this thumb.”
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Scherzer — generally known as “Mad Max” due to his depth on an off the sphere — is an eight-time all-star and has gained the Cy Younger Award as the very best pitcher in his league 3 times. He has a 216-112 report over his 17-year profession with a 3.16 earned-run common and three,408 strikeouts.
He was dropped at Toronto so as to add depth to the beginning rotation and function a job mannequin to the crew’s different pitchers. Now it’s unlikely he’ll make his subsequent scheduled begin.
“We had been checking in with him, form of inning by inning,” mentioned Schneider. “We need to be good, first outing of the 12 months.
“Clearly, we want him. We would like him. It was only a matter of, might you push by way of it, or might you not? We simply determined to take the cautious route after the third.”
Scherzer mentioned he doesn’t know what his restoration will seem like, however that he would work with docs to get his thumb proper once more.
“I’ve been coping with this for therefore lengthy that I can’t pitch by way of this harm,” mentioned Scherzer. “There’s so many different accidents you possibly can pitch by way of. You’ll be able to pitch by way of so much, really, however this thumb is completely vital to your arm well being, and so I obtained to get this 100 per cent earlier than I pitch once more.”
Relievers Richard Lovelady (0-1), Jacob Barnes, Chad Inexperienced, Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman completed out the sport for Toronto (1-2). Lovelady, Barnes and Inexperienced gave up a mixed seven runs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 29, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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