Max Scherzer gave John Schneider the sign Toronto needed Friday: the veteran right-hander looks close to rejoining the Blue Jays' rotation.
Scherzer's second Triple-A rehab start pushed him to 73 pitches over 3 2/3 innings for Buffalo, which is the type of workload that starts pointing back to a big-league turn.
The line itself was uneven. Scherzer gave up 3 runs on 5 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts, so this was not some clean tuneup where every inning felt easy.
But the radar gun told the better story. His fastball averaged 93.4 mph and topped out at 95.7, strong signs for a 41-year-old working back from forearm and ankle issues.
This outing also built cleanly off his first rehab step. Last Sunday, Scherzer threw 3 scoreless innings for Buffalo, allowing no hits while striking out 4 on 41 pitches.
Toronto has been waiting on this since Scherzer went on the 15-day injured list on April 27 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. The Blue Jays' injury tracker still lists his return window as early-to-mid June.
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Max Scherzer now looks lined up for next turn
The opening is sitting right there. Toronto's probable-pitchers page has Kevin Gausman lined up for Sunday, then lists Monday through Wednesday against Philadelphia as to be determined on the Blue Jays' side. That leaves a clean lane for Scherzer's next turn to come back in the majors.
That matters because Schneider has been piecing this rotation together almost day by day. Before Friday's game, he even joked about not having Saturday's starter lined up yet, which tells you how much Toronto needs real starting length back.
Scherzer is not returning off a dominant first month, either. Before the injured list, he had a 9.64 ERA in 5 starts with Toronto, which is why this comeback is about stability as much as star power.
The innings still matter more than the old name value. Scherzer made it through 6 innings in 2 of those 5 starts, then got knocked out early in the other 3, and that swing is exactly what Toronto has to settle.
Still, the Blue Jays do not need vintage Mad Max every fifth day. They need a veteran who can take the ball, get through a lineup, and stop the bullpen from wearing down in the middle of June. That is a real job on this staff.
There is another small hook waiting for him, too. Scherzer went on the injured list just 1 strikeout shy of 3,500 for his career, so his next start should come with one more piece of history in play.
That is why Friday's box score only goes so far. Max Scherzer did not dominate Buffalo, but he threw enough pitches, showed enough life on the fastball, and now looks lined up to make his next start where Toronto has needed him all along.
Should the Blue Jays put Max Scherzer right back into the rotation next week?
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