Max Scherzer's MLB career is closer to its end than it has ever been before.

The no-doubt future Hall of Famer gets the ball Wednesday in a doubleheader against the Orioles. On regular rest, that would be his final appearance of the year.

But manager John Schneider has hinted Scherzer could pitch again this season, on short rest, in what would be Toronto's final game of the year on Sunday.

Regular rest would push his next start to Monday at the earliest, meaning a Sunday outing would be a genuinely special move built around him.

It has the feel of a manager arranging one final ovation before a legend rides off, whether or not that's the explicit intent.

Why the strikeout chase adds another layer to this

There's a real number tied to this too. Scherzer sits 11 strikeouts behind Justin Verlander on the all-time list, and Verlander is set to make his own final start for the Tigers on Saturday.

If Scherzer closes ground Wednesday and Verlander struggles Saturday, a Sunday start could put Mad Max within real striking distance of passing him.

Keegan Matheson asked Schneider directly whether the club would be watching Verlander's strikeout total this weekend. Schneider laughed and said, "Maybe."

Scherzer hasn't spoken openly about retirement this season, but his stance has always been the same: keep pitching until he physically can't anymore.

At 42, he's closer to that point than he's ever been, even if it hasn't fully arrived.

His resume speaks for itself. A two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer enters Wednesday at 224-125 with a 3.28 ERA across stints with the Tigers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Mets, Rangers, Dodgers, and Blue Jays.

Over 19 seasons, he's struck out 3,543 hitters, a total that will land him in the top 10 all-time once his career closes.

His last two years in Toronto have carried ERAs over 5.00, but the flashes of vintage Scherzer haven't disappeared entirely, including a seven-inning, one-hit, 10-strikeout gem against the Mariners on Aug. 30.

However these final starts play out, Scherzer leaves the game as one of the best pitchers to ever take a big-league mound.