When the Toronto Blue Jays inked Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal back in February, the move carried the kind of buzz you get when a veteran MLB gunslinger strolls into town—battle-tested, scarred, but still capable of slinging heat. Scherzer’s 2025 season would stall almost immediately after it began, though.
A Rocky Start Out of the Gate
Scherzer’s debut was short-lived. In his first start on opening weekend, the three-time Cy Young winner was yanked after just three innings and 45 pitches. The culprit? A lat strain tied to a nagging thumb issue that had been bothering him behind the scenes. That initial setback landed him on the injured list on March 30 with right thumb inflammation.
What followed was a frustrating stretch of start-and-stop progress—days of throwing would be followed by more discomfort, and rehab seemed stuck in neutral. It was like trying to drive with the parking brake half-on: a little movement, but no real momentum.
Turning the Corner
But in the last week or two, things have finally started clicking. According to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, Scherzer has amped up his bullpen sessions to “heavy” intensity, a sign the Blue Jays are eyeing the next phase of his comeback. The next logical step? Facing live hitters.
“Max Scherzer threw a ‘heavy bullpen’ today,” Nicholson-Smith quoted manager John Schneider as saying. “Scherzer’s progressing well and the next steps would ideally be facing hitters in a live BP setting followed by a rehab stint.”
While it’s not yet confirmed whether his next outing will be live BP or another bullpen session, the direction is clear. Scherzer’s train is finally leaving the station.
What’s Next?
Once he begins throwing against live hitters, the plan is for Scherzer to make multiple rehab starts in the minors before getting the green light for a full return. The Blue Jays aren’t rushing it—when you’ve signed a guy with Scherzer’s résumé, the aim is quality over speed. He logged 43.1 innings with a 3.95 ERA for the Texas Rangers last season, and expectations in Toronto are no less ambitious, but involve more frames, of course.
Now, the focus shifts to how quickly Scherzer can shake off the rust and rejoin a Blue Jays rotation that could certainly use his fire.