Max Scherzer gave John Schneider the kind of update the Blue Jays badly needed Sunday.
The veteran right-hander threw a 22-pitch bullpen in New York, felt good afterward, and is scheduled to throw again Wednesday. That alone makes this one of Toronto's better pitching updates in weeks.
It matters because Scherzer's road back has not been clean. He has been on the injured list since April 27 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, and the forearm had slowed his rehab earlier this month.
That is why Sunday's bullpen carried weight. This was not just throwing for maintenance. It was a check on whether the arm would finally let him move forward again.
For now, the answer looks positive. Schneider said if this keeps trending the right way, Scherzer would likely need a couple of rehab starts before returning to Toronto's rotation.
That keeps the tone hopeful without pretending he is close enough to circle on the calendar. Rehab starts still mean buildup, pitch count progression, and another chance for the forearm to respond under more stress.
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Max Scherzer is finally moving again, but Toronto still has to wait
This is the key balance for the Blue Jays. Scherzer is clearly farther along than he was 2 weeks ago, when he admitted the forearm was not responding the way he wanted and he could not get a throwing program going consistently.
Now he has at least pushed through a bullpen and is lined up for another one Wednesday. That is real progress, especially for a pitcher whose recovery had felt stuck.
Toronto needs that progress badly. The Blue Jays have spent much of the early season patching the rotation around injuries, and Scherzer is one of the few veteran arms on the staff who can change the feel of it quickly when healthy.
He also remains stuck on 3,489 career strikeouts, just short of 3,500, which adds another layer to the comeback once he is ready to return. But the Blue Jays are not worrying about milestones yet. They just need the arm to hold up.
The good news is that Sunday finally gave Toronto something concrete to build on. Scherzer threw, felt good, and gets another mound day on Wednesday.
That does not end the wait. It does make the wait feel a little more worthwhile.
For a Blue Jays club desperate for healthier pitching, Max Scherzer is finally trending in the right direction again.
Will Max Scherzer still make a big impact for the Blue Jays once he returns?
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