Scherzer (1-2) took the loss against the Twins on Sunday, allowing eight runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
Scherzer opened with a perfect first inning before allowing eight runs while recording just four more outs. His velocity appeared normal, so it doesn't seem tied to the forearm tendinitis the 41-year-old dealt with in his previous outing, but he generated only four whiffs on 68 pitches and surrendered two homers. He'll take an ugly 9.58 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 9:4 K:BB across 10.1 innings into a road matchup with the Diamondbacks next weekend.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Cleared to start Sunday
Rotowire
The Blue Jays confirmed Scherzer (forearm) as their starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Twins in Toronto, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Toronto received some rare good news for its injury-ravaged rotation, as Scherzer looks like he won't end up missing a turn after he had been contending with right forearm tendinitis leading up to his most recent start in Monday's loss to the Dodgers. Though Scherzer was removed when the injury flared up after he pitched just two innings, he's apparently responded well to treatment over the last couple of days. Barring a setback coming out of his between-starts bullpen session Friday, Scherzer should be able to handle a relatively standard workload Sunday.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: On track for start this weekend
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Scherzer (forearm) "feels good" and remains on track to make his scheduled start this weekend against the Twins, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Despite battling right forearm tendinitis leading up to Monday's game against the Dodgers, Scherzer was able to take his turn through the rotation but was lifted from the start after just two innings when the injury flared up. However, Schneider said Scherzer "doesn't feel any worse" Tuesday than he did when he was pulled, and the plan is for him to throw his normal bullpen session Friday before making a start this weekend. Barring a setback, the future Hall of Famer appears set to take the ball in Sunday's series finale.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Dealing with forearm tendinitis
Rotowire
Scherzer exited Monday's start against the Dodgers early due to right forearm tendinitis, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. He allowed two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two over two innings and took the loss.
Scherzer departed Monday's outing after only 36 pitches, though the team waited until after the game to reveal the reason for his exit. Manager John Schneider stated after the loss that Scherzer had been experiencing the tendinitis for a few days leading up to the start, and the issue didn't get any worse, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The expectation is that Scherzer will make his next start, which tentatively lines up for Saturday against Minnesota.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Quality start in 2026 debut
Rotowire
Scherzer (1-0) earned the win against the Rockies on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings.
This is the 19th major-league season of Scherzer's storied career, but the 41-year-old demonstrated that he still has plenty in the tank. He kept the Rockies off the board through the first five frames before yielding a solo homer to Hunter Goodman in the sixth. After building his pitch count to 75 in spring training, Scherzer tossed 83 pitches (56 strikes) against Colorado on Tuesday, and the Blue Jays will need to rely heavily on the veteran right-hander due to the absences of Shane Bieber (forearm), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) Jose Berrios (elbow) and Cody Ponce (knee). Scherzer is tentatively slated to start next week at home against the Dodgers in a World Series rematch.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Builds up to 75 pitches
Rotowire
Scherzer allowed two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. He struck out three.
The 41-year-old right-hander tossed 75 pitches (53 strikes) in what's likely to be his final Grapefruit League appearance of the spring, although Mitch Bannon of The Athletic indicated after Friday's outing that Scherzer would make one more spring start in a minor-league game next week. Scherzer has an unblemished 0.00 ERA with a 9:5 K:BB in 13.2 innings since re-signing with Toronto in late February, and he's locked into a rotation spot to begin the season with Shane Bieber (forearm), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all headed for the IL.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Rises to occasion Saturday
Rotowire
Scherzer gave up two hits and two walks over 4.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out five.
With Tarik Skubal on the mound for Detroit, Scherzer's competitive fire kicked in even in a low-stakes exhibition game, and he tossed 42 of 65 pitches for strikes before exiting the mound with the Jays ahead 1-0. Scherzer has yet to give up a run in two spring starts since re-signing with Toronto in late February, posting a 6:3 K:BB in 8.2 innings, and with Jose Berrios (elbow) looking uncertain for Opening Day, the 41-year-old appears ticketed for a spot in the rotation to begin 2026.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Four no-hit frames Saturday
Rotowire
Scherzer walked one and struck out one over four scoreless, no-hit innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.
Making his first appearance of the spring, the 41-year-old Scherzer ended up in something of a pitcher's duel with 22-year-old Andrew Painter in what ended up being a 1-0 win for the Blue Jays. Scherzer faced the tougher lineup of the two, as the Phillies sent out most of their Opening Day starters who weren't participating in the WBC, including Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto. Scherzer tossed 29 of 40 pitches for strikes, and while it's not yet clear how Toronto will arrange its rotation to begin the season with Jose Berrios healthy and Trey Yesavage likely to handle a limited workload, the future Hall of Famer Scherzer looks like he'll be ready for a significant role right out of the gate.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Will be ready for start of season
Rotowire
Scherzer said Tuesday that he is completely over last year's nagging thumb issues and will be ready to go at the start of the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Scherzer also confirmed that he will make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against the Phillies and hopes to throw multiple innings. The 41-year-old agreed to terms with the Blue Jays just last week, but he's been throwing on his own and appears to be built up stamina-wise where he would normally be at this stage of spring training. Scherzer isn't guaranteed a spot in the Toronto rotation when the regular season begins, however, as Jose Berrios also appears to be over his 2025 injury issues.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Could pitch in game Saturday
Rotowire
Scherzer could be ready for his Grapefruit League debut as soon as Saturday versus the Phillies, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Scherzer is in Blue Jays camp after agreeing to terms last week, though his deal has yet to be officially announced. It's not a given that the 41-year-old will be part of the Opening Day rotation, but Scherzer had been throwing on his own so it shouldn't take too long to rebuild his stamina.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: May not be part of initial rotation
Rotowire
Scherzer could ramp up slowly to begin the season, with the Blue Jays more concerned about having him available in September and October than March and April, Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.
The 41-year-old right-hander made one start in March last season before being shut down due to a lingering thumb issue, and Scherzer didn't re-join the Toronto rotation until late June. Having re-signed with the team Wednesday on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13 million with incentives, a similar plan could be in place for 2026, although Scherzer at least appears to be healthier this spring. Even with Shane Bieber (forearm) set to begin the season on the IL, the Jays have plenty of healthy rotation depth at this point in camp, with Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Jose Berrios and Eric Lauer capable of taking regular turns to begin the campaign.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Back with Blue Jays
Rotowire
Scherzer agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The Blue Jays and Scherzer had mutual interest in a reunion throughout the offseason, and the two sides have now finally agreed on a deal that includes up to $10 million in incentives. The veteran righty took a step back in 2025, as he finished the regular season with a career-worst 5.19 ERA and gave up 19 home runs in 85 innings (17 starts). That being said, he still maintained a strong 82:23 K:BB in the regular season, then posted a 3.77 ERA in three starts during Toronto's postseason run. With Shane Bieber (forearm) due to open the season on the injured list, Scherzer has a path to being included in the Blue Jays' Opening Day rotation, though he likely won't be guaranteed a job when the team's starters are all fully healthy.
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Max Scherzer: Keeping in touch with Jays
Rotowire
Scherzer and his representatives have kept in contact with the Blue Jays this offseason and into spring training, Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.
Toronto doesn't have a spot in the rotation for Scherzer after signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce over the winter, but with Shane Bieber (forearm) set to begin the season on the IL, the team's pitching depth is a little precarious. If another injury hits the staff this spring, it could be enough to prompt a reunion with Scherzer. The 41-year-old posted a 5.19 ERA over 85 innings with the Jays during the 2025 regular season, serving up 19 homers but still delivering a solid 82:23 K:BB, and he made three postseason starts for Toronto during their run to the World Series with a 3.77 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB in 14.1 innings. Scherzer is likely looking for a contract similar to the one Justin Verlander got from the Tigers: a one-year deal worth $13 million but with $11 million deferred.
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Max Scherzer: Not rushing to sign
Rotowire
Scherzer is waiting for the right opportunity to sign with a team this offseason, and he could wait until after Opening Day, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Scherzer told the media that he was healthy and ready to sign immediately, but that he only wants to pitch for certain teams. The right-hander didn't list or hint at which clubs he'd be willing to play for, but he did say that he is willing to wait the situation out as he enters his age-41 campaign. There's still plenty of time for Scherzer to sign and be ready to begin the 2026 season on time, but this will be a situation to monitor in the coming weeks.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Puts forth strong effort in Game 7
Rotowire
Scherzer logged a no-decision in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 4.1 innings.
Scherzer got the start and was able to give Toronto 4.1 innings and 54 pitches (34 strikes). He retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before fading a bit in the fourth, when the Dodgers touched him up for a run on a double, a single, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Scherzer retired the first batter he faced in the fifth but was pulled after allowing a Miguel Rojas single. Overall, it was a noble effort by the 41-year-old hurler, who departed with his team holding a 3-1 lead. Over two World Series starts, he allowed four runs while posting a 6:1 K:BB across 8.2 frames.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Would start potential Game 7
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Scherzer would start a potential Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday versus the Dodgers, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
The Blue Jays are hoping to close things out with a win Friday in Game 6, but if that doesn't happen, they'll turn to the 41-year-old Saturday. Scherzer was charged with three runs over 4.1 frames in Game 3, taking a no-decision in Toronto's extra-innings loss. It would be an all-hands-on-deck situation for the Blue Jays if there is a Game 7, so Scherzer's leash would be short.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Bitten by long ball
Rotowire
Scherzer allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three across 4.1 innings during Monday's Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers. He didn't factor into the decision.
Scherzer was hurt by a pair of solo home runs, one by Teoscar Hernandez in the bottom of the second inning and another by Shohei Ohtani in the third. He was later pulled after Ohtani plated a run in the fifth on a one-out double. Even so, Scherzer actually departed the outing with a one-run lead, which didn't last after Mason Fluharty gave up the tying run later in the fifth inning. Scherzer has been serviceable for the Blue Jays in his two postseason starts, giving up five runs (three earned) and striking out eight in 10.0 innings of work. He could be in the running for a Game 7 start or an inning or two in relief depending on how the rest of the series plays out.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Wins postseason debut
Rotowire
Scherzer (1-0) allowed two earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five across 5.2 innings to earn the win in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Mariners.
Scherzer drew his first start of the postseason and took the mound in a game for the first time since Sept. 24. He understandably showed some rust, issuing two free passes in the first inning and giving up a leadoff homer in the second inning. He settled in from there, allowing only a pair of singles and walks across his final 3.2 frames of work. It's unclear when Scherzer will be called upon next, but he played a big part in the Blue Jays leveling the ALCS through four games.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Likely on tap for Game 4 start
Rotowire
Scherzer threw a bullpen session Monday, tentatively lining him up to start Game 4 of the ALCS versus the Mariners on Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Both Scherzer and Chris Bassitt were added to the Blue Jays' ALCS roster after neither were included on the ALDS roster. It appears it will be Scherzer getting the nod over Bassitt as the fourth member of Toronto's ALCS rotation, although manager John Schneider has not yet confirmed it. Scherzer stumbled to the finish line with a 9.00 ERA over his final six regular-season starts. However, he had a 3.60 ERA and 56:15 K:BB over 60 frames covering his first 11 starts, and the Blue Jays will place faith in the 41-year-old's extensive postseason experience.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Added to roster for ALCS
Rotowire
The Blue Jays included Scherzer on their roster for the ALCS against the Mariners, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Scherzer was left of the ALDS roster but is back for the championship series with Toronto needing some more length for the seven-game series. It remains to be seen if the 41-year-old will step into the Blue Jays' rotation or if he'll operate out of the bullpen versus Seattle.
