Max Scherzer gave John Schneider a rough afternoon, and now the Blue Jays need the right-hander to feel sound after it.
That is the real Toronto update after Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Twins. Scherzer lasted only 2 1/3 innings, 6 runs had already crossed, and he walked off with the game slipping hard in the third.
The outing landed only days after Scherzer's MRI showed no structural or ligament damage in his forearm. Toronto had taken that as a green light, with Scherzer saying the diagnosis of tendinitis gave him more freedom to attack this start.
For one inning, it looked steady enough. Then the control went. That changed the whole feel of the day much faster than the radar gun ever did.
That is what stands out most from this line. The velocity looked fine, which mattered after last week's forearm scare, but his command was loose and the Twins made him pay for every mistake.
That leaves Schneider with the question nobody in that dugout wanted after the MRI news. Was this just a bad day locating pitches, or did the forearm issue creep back into the outing once the stress built?
Scherzer left with runners on the corners, and Toronto was back in the bullpen far earlier than planned. For a club already stretched by injuries, that is a bad place to live.
-
Why Max Scherzer's postgame status matters more than the box score
The box score was ugly on its own. But the bigger story is still health, not earned runs. If Scherzer comes out of this feeling normal, the Blue Jays can live with one messy start and move on.
If he does not, this outing changes shape fast. A veteran with a fresh forearm issue does not get judged only on results. He gets judged on how his arm responds the next day and the day after that.
That is why Schneider's update matters now more than any pitch count debate. Toronto needs to know whether Scherzer simply missed spots or whether the forearm turned this into something heavier than tendinitis.
There was a visible difference between stuff and execution. The fastball had enough life, but too many pitches leaked back over the plate or missed off the edge when he needed a strike.
That kind of line can bury a starter even when the arm is intact. It also leaves no room for error when a pitcher is already trying to prove he is safe to stay in the rotation.
The Blue Jays will take any good news they can get after this one. Max Scherzer already cleared the first medical hurdle earlier this week. Now Toronto needs the update that matters more: that Sunday's ugly start did not reopen the bigger problem.
Should the Blue Jays be worried about Max Scherzer after Sunday's short start?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasts teammates after rough Blue Jays loss to the Twins
