TORONTO – The ache of a cortisone injection to his ailing thumb isn’t what has Max Scherzer hurting.
“It doesn’t really feel good,” he mentioned of the injection, “however you’ll take any ache to get on the market. The ache’s not the issue. The ache will not be having the ability to pitch and be on the market. That’s what stinks … Not taking part in is the worst half.”
The 40-year-old pitcher lasted three innings in his Toronto Blue Jay debut Saturday, then shut it down due to soreness in his proper lat muscle. The lat ache comes from his physique compensating from the thumb discomfort from his grip.
“You possibly can’t override and pitch by way of that ache,” he defined. “As a result of as soon as that’s compromised, it compromises the remainder of your arm.”
Previous illnesses in his shoulder and again have stemmed from the thumb.
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As for his return, Scherzer mentioned he’s each day.

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“You’ve obtained to let the cortisone shot work. Usually I actually reply effectively to cortisone,” he mentioned. “I’ve had loads of these photographs over my profession.”
He hopes to play catch Friday to see the way it feels. The excellent news is the lat ache has gone.
“When he begins throwing, we’ll type of play it by ear,” mentioned Jays supervisor John Schneider. “Hopefully it’s not too lengthy however we don’t actually have a set date, a goal date or a timeline. We’ll simply see how he feels within the subsequent couple days.”
Going through Baltimore, Scherzer allowed two runs off solo homers and three hits in a 45-pitch outing that prompted a go to to a hand specialist in Pennsylvania.
Scherzer mentioned the specialist was “pleasantly shocked” by what he discovered, suggesting the cortisone injection to calm the irritation.
“That ought to be the answer to get the thumb again to one hundred pc after which attempt to construct again off of that,” mentioned Scherzer.
The three-time Cy Younger Award-winner had “a pair” of cortisone injections final yr. However the second, in October, was when he wasn’t pitching.
“I don’t know precisely how that is going to play out.” he mentioned. “And so I’ve simply go to hearken to what my thumb says, belief the coaching employees right here, provide you with a very good plan of the way to handle this, deal with this on the a while and discover a approach to construct again up.”
The go to to the specialist was comforting in that it offered some extra readability, he added. Scherzer additionally mentioned he’s “not shut” to a surgical procedure possibility.
‘We’re simply not at that time,” he mentioned.
Scherzer, who signed a one-year US$15-million contract with the Jays, is an eight-time all-star and two-time World Sequence champion.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed April 1, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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