Max Scherzer gave Toronto a mixed injury update Tuesday, and the Blue Jays right-hander sounded far more concerned about his forearm than his ankle.
That split is the whole story right now. Scherzer said the left ankle has improved and feels more like a sprain, which takes one problem down a notch.
The forearm is different. Scherzer said that is the issue he is more worried about long term, and that alone should get Toronto's attention.
Because this was not supposed to be the tone by now. Scherzer admitted he thought he would already be in the ramp-up phase, but instead called the process «still a work in progress.»
That matters because the Blue Jays placed him on the 15-day injured list on April 27 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. At the time, the ankle almost felt like the cleaner part of the equation.
Now Scherzer has basically confirmed it. The ankle is settling down, but the arm still is not where he wants it. For a 41-year-old starter, that is the part nobody in Toronto can shrug off.
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The Blue Jays still do not have a Scherzer timeline
That is the biggest consequence of Tuesday's comments. Toronto still cannot talk about Scherzer like a pitcher nearing activation because he has not even gotten to the stage he expected to reach by now.
The forearm issue has already hurt this rotation once. Scherzer exited after 2 innings against the Dodgers on April 6 because of right forearm tendinitis, and that early departure put more strain on a staff already stretched thin.
That is why Schneider's club has to treat this carefully. A sore ankle can be managed. Lingering forearm discomfort is the kind of thing that changes return plans, workload decisions, and maybe more.
Toronto also does not have much room to fake optimism here. The Blue Jays' injury tracker still lists Scherzer on the IL, and there has been no public indication that a return date is close.
For Scherzer, this is a frustrating spot because he clearly expected momentum by now. Instead, he is still talking about delays and long-term concern.
For the Blue Jays, it means the rotation cannot count on him yet. Not this week, and not until that forearm lets him finally start building again.
That makes Tuesday's update easy to read. The ankle gave Scherzer some relief. The forearm is still the story, and it is the one Toronto has to worry about most.
Should the Blue Jays slow-play Max Scherzer's return until the forearm feels fully right?
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