Blue Jays Pitcher Taking Important Step in Injury Recovery Process

The Toronto Blue Jays have announced their pitcher is taking the next step towards a return from his injury.

Mar 29, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) walks to the dugout after giving up two home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

One of the most significant moves the Toronto Blue Jays made in their offseason free agent spending spree was signing legendary right-handed starter Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal.

The now-40-year-old is in the twilight of his Hall of Fame-worthy career, but the Blue Jays believed that he still had some juice left in the tank and could play a key role in mentoring a relatively young roster.

Unfortunately for both Scherzer and Toronto, a lingering thumb injury has largely relegated the righty to the injured list.

He hasn't seen the mound since his first start of the season back on March 29, where he lasted just three innings before leaving with said injury.

The last two months have been a frustrating mix of setbacks and treatments, but there may finally be some light visible at the end of the tunnel for Scherzer.

According to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, the team announced that Scherzer will throw live BP on Friday night ahead of Toronto's matchup against the Athletics.

Max Scherzer will throw live BP to a few #BlueJays hitters tomorrow at Rogers Centre.

This puts him back close to the stage he was at before his rehab stalled the last time. A couple of these sessions should lead to a rehab assignment, but... Baby steps.

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 29, 2025

This will mark the first time Scherzer has faced live hitters since May 6, when he also threw a live BP session before his ailing thumb ultimately pushed him back onto the shelf.

The team appears to believe that Scherzer has gotten back to the point where he can handle pitching against live batters, so the hope is that the thumb has healed enough to begin working towards a potential rehab start in the next couple of weeks.

Getting the former three-time Cy Young award winner back would undoubtedly be a massive boost to the Blue Jays' rotation, but Toronto doesn't want to rush him back too soon, either.

Another setback like the one at the beginning of May would significantly delay any return.

It will all come down to how Scherzer feels following his first real throwing session in almost a month.

If all goes well, then he could make his long-awaited return to the mound sooner rather than later.