Max Scherzer is not done yet. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer has been sidelined with back spasms and side discomfort, but he just gave the Blue Jays something worth paying attention to.
According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Scherzer said he’s traveling with the team out west and plans to make a rehab start Friday with the Vancouver affiliate. He’ll rejoin the club in Seattle on Saturday, throw a side session Sunday, and then figure out next steps from there.
That’s a pretty concrete timeline for a pitcher whose body has been a constant question mark this season. Scherzer last took the mound for Toronto on June 10. Before that, he dealt with a mysterious forearm issue and the usual wear and tear you’d expect from a guy turning 42 later this month. His season has been uneven at best, but when he’s been healthy enough to pitch, he’s still shown flashes of the guy who strikes out everyone.
Here’s the thing about the Blue Jays. They’re sitting at 40-45, which is not great. Not terrible either, considering how mediocre the American League has been this year. They climbed back to .500 in June and then immediately fell into another losing streak. But there’s still time. A lot of time, really. And if Scherzer can give them anything close to reliable innings down the stretch, that changes the math on the rotation.
What a Healthy Scherzer Means
The Blue Jays didn’t bring Scherzer in to be a savior. They brought him in to be a stabilizer. A veteran presence who could eat innings and keep games close. He hasn’t been able to do that consistently because his body keeps betraying him. But if this rehab start goes well and he re-joins the rotation without a setback, Toronto suddenly has a three-man core that could keep them in wild card conversations.
Scherzer himself sounded cautiously optimistic about the plan. He’s not promising anything, but he’s doing the work. Traveling with the team, taking the rehab start seriously, and treating the recovery like the process it always has been for him. It’s not flashy. It’s just the next step.
The Blue Jays host the Mets again Wednesday afternoon before heading west. They need wins. They need their rotation to hold up. And they might need Scherzer to be something close to the pitcher he used to be. That’s a lot to ask of a 41-year-old with a balky back. But it’s also the only real shot they’ve got.
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