Toronto Blue Jays Get Excellent Injury Report on Multi-Time Cy Young Winner

Max Scherzer won't make his scheduled start on Thursday because of a thumb issue, but his MRI has come back clean and he's good to go.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark on March 2.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark on March 2. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer won't make his scheduled start on Thursday because of a thumb issue, but he's good-go-to after MRIs came back clean.

Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com on social media:

Max Scherzer (right thumb) had an MRI and there was nothing serious found.

He’s playing catch and will be back on a mound tomorrow or the next day. Good news for the #BlueJays

That's certainly good news for the Jays, who signed Scherzer to a one-year deal this offseason. He'll join a rotation that features Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Bowden Francis, providing depth and leadership within the clubhouse.

The 40-year-old Scherzer is a 17-year veteran of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. He helped the Nationals win the World Series in 2019 and was part of the Rangers team that captured the title in 2023.

Lifetime, he's 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA. He battled injury in 2024, making just nine starts, so the Blue Jays will hope he's healthier in 2025

Scherzer is an eight-time All-Star and a three-time Cy Young winner. He's struck out 3,407 batters in his career, which is second among current pitchers (Justin Verlander). Destined for the Hall of Fame, the Blue Jays could be the final stop of his career, although Scherzer hasn't said this is his final year.

The Blue Jays went 74-88 last season, finishing last in the American League East.

They open the season on March 27 against the Orioles.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.