The Toronto Blue Jays have taken a hit to their starting rotation with veteran Max Scherzer leaving their game against the Baltimore Orioles with a right lat injury. He went three innings and gave up two home runs. The plan for Scherzer, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, was to go 80 pitches. The injury appears linked to his thumb issue that flared up in spring training. His thumb needs to be in full health, and this isn’t the type of injury to ignore. Scherzer tried to play through the soreness, but ended up leaving the game early.
During his warmups, Scherzer started to notice something was off and felt tightness in his lat. Scherzer made manager John Schneider aware of the discomfort. He decided to play it safe and left during the third inning. Depending on how much time he misses, this will impact the Blue Jays’ starting rotation, and their bullpen will also be tested. But it also opens up the opportunity for someone else to pitch in Scherzer’s place. The Blue Jays signed Scherzer in the offseason to a one-year, $15 million deal.
Max Scherzer’s debut is done after 45 pitches and three innings pitched. pic.twitter.com/r45Wdd4kQI
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 29, 2025
Max Scherzer Leaves Game With Right Lat Injury
While Scherzer was able to go three innings in the game, we have to wonder how much this injury is going to affect him as well, considering his age (41). Scherzer recently discussed how the thumb injury, which dates back to last season, was affecting the rest of his throwing arm.
Max Scherzer left the game with what the team said is “right lat soreness.”
A few days ago, Scherzer said this when asked about thumb area: “this region affects your whole arm, not just your form, but all the way to your triceps, into your shoulder and into your lat, too.”
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 29, 2025
Scherzer came to the Blue Jays with an all-in strategy and winning mentality, which is why he signed with the Blue Jays. So this certainly leaves him in a frustrating situation. He talked about how it hurt to grip the ball during spring training. It appeared minor at first, but it is evidently still affecting him. Scherzer will likely require further testing to evaluate the degree of severity. Matheson later reported that Scherzer will miss his next start, and there is no timetable beyond that at this point.
This is the exact scenario Scherzer laid out in Dunedin. His thumb still isn’t 100%, which opens up his arm and shoulder to danger.
He clearly won’t make his next start. Beyond that, TBD.
“My arm is making adjustments because of that. That’s a recipe for disaster.” #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 29, 2025
Rotation Options
If Scherzer has a significant injury, the Toronto Blue Jays could turn to swingman Yariel Rodriguez or Jake Bloss to fill in the starting rotation. Scherzer’s thumb issue could result in an early-season stint on the injured list. The Blue Jays were also forced to lean on their bullpen early on Saturday. Rodriguez pitched in the rotation last season for the Blue Jays and made strides in spring training. He also put up good numbers in camp this season, particularly in the Spring Breakout game. Ryan Yarbrough would have been another good option out of the bullpen, as he can provide quality multiple innings. However, the Blue Jays cut him at the end of spring, and he opted out of his deal, leading to his signing with the New York Yankees.
