Buck Martinez did not hold back on Max Scherzer during a recent interview on Sportsnet.
Martinez's point was sharp. Scherzer's presence still carries weight in a clubhouse, and Buck said there might not be a better arm for Toronto late in the season.
The question was the hard one: can he get there? Sportsnet 590's Blair & Barker is hosted by Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker, and that is where Martinez framed the Blue Jays' real Scherzer problem.
That lands harder after Sunday. Scherzer lasted 2 1/3 innings against Minnesota, gave up 8 earned runs, and left Toronto chasing the game before the afternoon had settled.
The outing came right after an MRI ruled out structural and ligament damage in his forearm. Scherzer said the scan showed tendinitis, and that gave him enough peace of mind to attack that start more aggressively.
So Buck was not questioning Scherzer's edge. Nobody needs to wonder about that with a 41-year-old who came back to Toronto for a second season after helping the club reach the 2025 World Series.
He was questioning the calendar. Scherzer has made 3 starts so far and already dealt with a forearm issue that cut one outing short before a rough follow-up dragged him out again early.
-
Why Buck Martinez hit the real Blue Jays nerve
This is the part Toronto cannot ignore. Scherzer's line through 3 starts sits at 10 1/3 innings with 11 earned runs allowed, and those are not the numbers of a starter cruising into summer.
And yet Buck's point still holds because Scherzer is not just another arm. When October gets close, his track record and mound presence still mean something to a team trying to win real games, not just survive April. Toronto's faith in Schneider also tells you the club still believes its window is open.
That is why this conversation matters more than one ugly box score. A veteran can wear one bad afternoon. What he cannot do is keep stacking short starts while a forearm issue hangs over every turn.
Toronto's staff does not have much room for that. The Blue Jays entered this week at 6-9 with a 4.81 team ERA, so every shaky Scherzer outing puts more strain on the rest of the rotation and bullpen.
Buck Martinez was not burying Scherzer. He was drawing the line every contender has to face with an aging starter who still flashes big-game value.
Can Max Scherzer help the Blue Jays in the games that matter most? Absolutely. But Buck got to the point fast: none of that matters unless Scherzer can hold up long enough to still be standing on the mound when those games arrive.
Is Buck Martinez right to question whether Max Scherzer can last the full season?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Blue Jays make surprise reunion with former player official
