Max Scherzer and all the other injuries leave the Blue Jays without a clean answer in the rotation.
That is the real takeaway from Toronto's latest pitching update. Scherzer's right forearm still has not responded the way he hoped, and a second injection Monday went into his right thumb after that issue flared while he tried to protect the forearm.
Scherzer said Tuesday that he still is not able to get a throwing program going. For a club already stretched on the mound, that keeps one of its biggest veteran arms in limbo instead of moving toward a return.
And that is only part of the problem. Jose Berrios visited specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Tuesday, while Shane Bieber remains weeks away, leaving Toronto trying to bridge a gap with no firm finish line.
That is why Eric Lauer's DFA hit harder than a normal roster cut. Toronto did not just move on from a struggling arm. It reopened a rotation vacancy at a time when the club already has too many injury questions to absorb easily.
Schneider said Tuesday that the Blue Jays are leaning toward using Thursday's off-day to push back the need for a fifth starter until May 19 at Yankee Stadium. That buys time, but not much of it.
It also tells you Toronto does not love any answer sitting in front of it right now.
Toronto's fifth starter problem is not going away
Spencer Miles is one name in the mix after his 3-inning opener Sunday, but Schneider also pointed to Triple-A Buffalo arms Chad Dallas and CJ Van Eyk as internal possibilities. None of those options comes without risk.
Miles is intriguing, but Sportsnet noted the caveats clearly. He has a limited workload base because of injuries over the past 3 seasons, and the Rule 5 right-hander had not pitched above A-ball before reaching the majors.
That is why an outside add still feels like the most believable path. Sportsnet reported that another external move appears necessary, even if Toronto tries to patch a turn or 2 with bullpen coverage first.
The hard part is finding someone useful this early in the season. Patrick Corbin worked as a temporary fill-in after Cody Ponce went down, but he has already become more than that with a 3.93 ERA in 34.1 innings over 7 starts.
Replicating Corbin's value now would already count as a win for this front office. Schneider does not need a savior in the fifth spot. He needs a starter who can keep games from getting away while the injured group stays on the shelf.
That is what makes this stretch so uncomfortable for Toronto. The Blue Jays can delay the vacancy for a few days, but they cannot dodge it for long, and Scherzer's stalled recovery keeps the whole rotation picture sitting on shaky ground.
Should the Blue Jays add another starter from outside the organization right now?
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