Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Max Scherzer Still Slated to Make 2025 Debut on Saturday

Max Scherzer, who dealt with a thumb injury during spring training, is set to make his first regular season appearance in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform this weekend.

Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While the Toronto Blue Jays publicly announced Tuesday that Max Scherzer would be making his first start of the regular season on Saturday, the right-hander's status still felt up in the air.

Scherzer battled through a right thumb injury during spring training, after all. Imaging came back negative, but the 40-year-old said it hurt to grip the ball as recently as March 17.

Manager John Schneider seems to have put those concerns to bed, though.

Schneider spoke to the media Wednesday, confirming that Scherzer's thumb injury hasn't knocked him off track in terms of taking the mound in Saturday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Still going in the right direction with how he's feeling each day," Schneider said, per Sportsnet's Hazel Mae. "He's going to get off the mound here this afternoon and assuming all goes well, like it has been, he'll be ready to roll Saturday."

SATURDAY: A Hall of Famer makes his #BlueJays debut 👀

Come see Mad Max!

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 26, 2025

Scherzer finished Grapefruit League play 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA, 0.462 WHIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings in four starts.

The Blue Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million contract in February, despite the fact that he was coming off the least effective season of his storied career.

Scherzer posted a 3.95 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.4 WAR with the Texas Rangers in 2024. He was limited to nine starts by back, shoulder and hamstring injuries.

The three-time Cy Young, eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion is 216-112 in his career with a 3.16 ERA, 1.078 WHIP, 3,407 strikeouts and 74.4 WAR. He is 7-4 with a 3.46 ERA, 1.077 WHIP and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings against the Orioles and 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA, 0.931 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings at Rogers Centre.

First pitch for Scherzer's regular season debut is set for 3:07 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Related MLB Stories

• 2025 MLB PREDICTIONS: The "Fastball On SI" staff joined forces to predict every award, division winner and World Series champion ahead of the 2025 season. CLICK HERE

• BRADY'S SPIN: The Blue Jays are aging and expensive, with a superstar in a contract year. How they perform, and how they pivot, will be a fascinating storyline this season. CLICK HERE

• FORBES MLB VALUATIONS: While the Yankees once again topped the list of the most valuable franchises in MLB, the Rockies and Rays were among the few teams with flat valuations. CLICK HERE

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.