Blue Jays Receive Max Scherzer Injury Update After Departure in Team Debut

Scherzer was placed on the 15-day IL after his first appearance with the Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Scherzer delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

New Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer left his first appearance with his new team and quickly landed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right thumb. He threw just three innings and 45 pitches in his first start as a Blue Jay, surrendering two earned runs on two solo shots.

He received a cortisone shot in the bothersome thumb one day after he was placed on the IL. On Friday, Jays manager John Schneider said Scherzer received a second cortisone injection into a different part of the thumb and te right-hander will try to play catch when he rejoins the team in Houston next week, according to ESPN and the Associated Press.

Max Scherzer received another cortisone shot in his thumb, said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. He’s slated to rejoin the team Monday in Houston with the aim of playing catch there.

Other notes:
▪️George Springer’s wrist feeling good, he’s back in the lineup.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 18, 2025

He initially left the first start on March 29 because of right lat soreness, but after the game said the flare up with his thumb was the culprit. The next day, he landed on the IL due to the thumb issue in his throwing hand.

Scherzer, 40, signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal to join the Blue Jays over the offseason. He battled injuries through his 2024 campaign with the Texas Rangers, making nine starts on the year as he recovered from an offseason back surgery, worked through the thumb issue and then a shoulder injury upon his return to the mound.

The three-time Cy Young winner is in his 18th year in the big leagues, with a career record of 216–112 and a 3.16 ERA.

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