Max Scherzer gave John Schneider the kind of injury update the Blue Jays badly needed, and it finally sounded like a real return is coming into view.
The shift here is simple. Scherzer is throwing pain free again after a stretch when his forearm issue had slowed everything down and left Toronto guessing on next steps.
That is a much different place from early May. Back then, Scherzer said the forearm was not responding the way he hoped, and the Blue Jays were still trying to figure out how to calm it down.
Now the veteran right-hander is talking about progression instead of frustration. He said a couple more bullpens should get him to the point where he is ready to face hitters and ramp up from there.
That matters because it puts a real sequence on the rehab. Bullpens, then live hitters, then the heavier build toward a return is a lot more useful than another vague day-to-day update.
There is another detail in this that should ease some nerves in Toronto. Scherzer said the thumb has not been an issue, which removes one more layer from a recovery that has already been messy enough.
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Why this Max Scherzer update changes the tone
The best part of the clip is how normal he sounds. Scherzer talks through the throwing plan calmly, without the edge that showed up earlier when his forearm was still confusing him.
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He even added that he is playing piano again after getting away from it for a bit. That does not guarantee anything on the mound, but it does paint a picture of a pitcher whose hand and arm are moving the way he wants again.
For the Blue Jays, the timing could not matter more. Scherzer went on the injured list on April 27 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, and the rotation has been under pressure since.
A mid-June return now looks possible, with room for it to come even earlier if the next steps go cleanly. That is a far better outlook than the one hanging over the club a couple of weeks ago.
Toronto does not need Scherzer to be a novelty act or a name from another era. The Blue Jays need innings, command, and a starter who can settle a game before the bullpen gets dragged into the middle frames.
That is why this update lands. Max Scherzer is no longer just trying to get past pain. He is lining up the final steps of a return, and that puts a real target back on the Blue Jays' calendar.
Will Max Scherzer return before mid-June for the Blue Jays?
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