Massive Jays Offseason Signing Hits Major Milestone in Injury Recovery
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had a relatively solid start to their 2025 campaign, currently sitting at 35-30 and in third place in the American League East. While the offensive side of things has started to turn around for the team, they have heavily relied on their bullpen to carry the weight early on as their starting rotation tries to figure things out.
The first three starters in the group have been pretty impressive for the Blue Jays, including José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Kevin Gausman. Bowden Francis has had a tough go of things early on, but the team may be getting a boost soon from one of their offseason acquisitions as he works back from injury.
Max Scherzer, while not expected to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders at 40 nearly 41 years old, should be a solid starter for Toronto once he returns from his injury. After suffering an injury through only three innings of work this season, he has been working hard to get back on the mound and progress to the point where he can be pitching once again. The good news is, this timeline is getting closer to being completed, according to a new report.
What Recent Milestone Did Scherzer Hit in His Recovery?
Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet recently put out a report that Scherzer completed a three-inning, 50-pitch simulated game on Sunday, and that after the appearance, he felt good. The next step will be a side session to get him warmed up as if he were going through a normal part of the rotation.
This is a huge step forward for the veteran as he looks to recover from a thumb injury this spring, and as he continues to take bigger steps towards his return, the team will likely begin to prepare for how to use him and where in the rotation he may be placed.
Even if he were able to perform at the level he did in 2024 before injury, with a 3.95 ERA and 1.154 WHIP, that is a solid enough level of production to live with as the team continues to battle the back end of their rotation. Giving the bullpen a chance to work with a lead is a huge part of being a successful team, especially when the relievers in the room are exceptional, like they are for this team specifically. Hopefully, Scherzer can maintain his health once he comes back and finds his stride for the middle part of the season.
Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.