Max Scherzer Delivers Shaky But Successful Birthday Start for Blue Jays
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From Justin Verlander (43) getting lit up in his first start and spending the rest of the season on the IL to Carlos Santana (39) linking up with the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract, fate has not been kind to baseball's greybeards in 2026.
The same could be said of Max Scherzer, who opted to return to the Toronto Blue Jays after becoming a cult hero during their World Series run last fall. Unfortunately, Mad Max's second act with the club has yielded just six starts, a 1-4 record, an ERA in the double digits and a continued inability to stay healthy.
Still, there was Scherzer returning to the mound on Monday night following a stellar final rehab start, ready to take on the Washington Nationals, who he pitched for during a seven-year stint that included two Cy Young Awards and a World Series trophy. What's more, his first start since June 10 just happened to fall on the future Hall of Famer's 42nd birthday.
How Scherzer Fared in Washington
Nationals legend Max Scherzer showing love for the fans in D.C. 🥹 https://t.co/pP8dbHzTvZ pic.twitter.com/z1Vs5lmJVL
— MLB (@MLB) July 27, 2026
Following a standing ovation from fans at Nationals Park, Scherzer got down to work. He loaded the bases with just one out in the first innning, but pitched his way out of trouble by striking out Dylan Crews and getting an inning-ending groundout from Daylen Lile. The fiery righty wasn't as luck in the second, allowing an RBI double to Luis Garcia despite sitting down the first two batters of the frame.
In the third inning, Scherzer allowed a walk and a couple of steals to speedy All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, but set down two Nationals on strikeouts along the way. With Abrams at third, Toronto manager John Schneider opted to pull the three-time Cy Young winner from the game in favor of Mason Fluharty, who got out of the inning unscathed.
All told, Scherzer lasted 2.2 innings, allowing one earned run, four hits and three walks while striking out four and throwing 75 pitches.
To be clear, this isn't exactly going to be held up alongside Dylan Cease among the Blue Jays' best single-game pitching performances. It did, however, give Scherzer a nice moment of nostalgia in front of appreciative fans in what could be his last start with Toronto.
The big question is whether Monday's start can represent anything more than nostalgia for Scherzer. The Blue Jays would love to offer the 19-year veteran one final postseason run, having seen how he can turn back the clock when the games mean the most. If they could find a playoff contender who shares that same faith in Scherzer's ability to rise to the occasion, he could be a candidate to be moved prior to the August 3 trade deadline.
Although Scherzer did give Toronto the chance to win and even generated a few whiffs on Monday, he got into trouble in every inning he pitched, failed to give the team even three complete innings and was very inefficient. In other words, it wasn't the type of performance that will have rival general managers lighting up GM Ross Atkins' phone.
It was, however, a fitting birthday tribute to a legendary hurler who is likely in the twilight of his storied career.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.