Blue Jays come to painful Max Scherzer realization after latest setback

The Toronto Blue Jays gave Max Scherzer a one-year, $15 million deal in hopes that he could stabilize the back of their rotation. Well, after throwing just three innings in his Blue Jays debut, he was sidelined with a thumb injury and has not appeared in a game since. He was seemingly on his way back from that injury, but back tightness in his last bullpen session will result in a setback.

That setback should get the Blue Jays to come to a realization that, frankly, they already should have. He cannot be trusted.

Fortunately, it appears that this back tightness isn't serious, at least for now. The Blue Jays hope he'll be able to throw later in the week. Still, even if it isn't serious, it's yet another issue the Blue Jays have to be aware of with Scherzer — who, in recent years, has had a miserable time staying healthy.

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Blue Jays must come to realization that Max Scherzer cannot be trusted

The Scherzer signing made sense when it happened. Yes, he had trouble staying healthy and was a 40-year-old, but as a fourth starter, signing a pitcher of his ability was a worthwhile gamble to make, especially on a somewhat cheap one-year deal. What the Blue Jays should have done, though — and what they abjectly failed to do — was bring in serviceable depth behind him because it was such a risk to assume he could stay healthy.

Scherzer was once an iron man, but he made just nine starts for the Texas Rangers last season and 19 starts the season prior. He hadn't made 30 starts in a season since 2021, nearly a half-decade ago. Scherzer is a fine pitcher when healthy, but again, he cannot be trusted to take the mound every fifth day consistently.

At this point, the Blue Jays need to act as if Scherzer isn't part of the equation. They were able to sign veterans Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena, but they should look for a better arm to acquire sometime soon if they plan on seriously competing for a postseason berth.

The Jays must treat Scherzer as if anything they get from him is a pleasant surprise, rather than someone they expect to be a meaningful contributor this season. It's an unfortunate position for them to be in, but Scherzer has proven he cannot stay healthy. The sooner they come to this realization, the better off they'll be.