Max Scherzer's spring training after signing a one-year deal to join the Toronto Blue Jays was impacted in a big way thanks to a nagging thumb injury that had been bothering him even last season. When he was pulled after just three innings and 45 pitches in his regular season debut with Toronto, Blue Jays fans feared that the thumb injury was acting up again.
That did not end up being the case. Scherzer was removed with what the Jays say is right lat soreness. How serious the injury is, remains to be seen. If it was serious enough for the notoriously competitive Scherzer to get pulled after just three innings in his Blue Jays debut, there's certainly a chance that he will, at the very least, miss his next start.
If Scherzer does have to miss his next start, Toronto's rotation will be impacted in a big way.
Max Scherzer dealing with right lat soreness per Blue Jays. That led to his early exit.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 29, 2025
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Projected Blue Jays rotation without Max Scherzer highlights team's lack of depth
Rotation Order | Starting Pitcher |
|---|---|
1 | Jose Berrios |
2 | Kevin Gausman |
3 | Yariel Rodriguez |
4 | Chris Bassitt |
5 | Bowden Francis |
If Scherzer does miss his start, there are several options the Jays can turn to. The most experienced of the bunch is Eric Lauer, but he's off their 40-man roster and he had a rough spring training. The most intriguing of the bunch is probably Jake Bloss, but he struggled in the minor leagues after being acquired by the Jays and looked even worse than Lauer did in spring training. The third option is probably who they're going to go with, Yariel Rodriguez.
Blue Jays fans were curious to see how Rodriguez, a pitcher who really struggled the deeper he went into a game as a starting pitcher last season, would perform in relief. If Scherzer is hurt, though, they likely will turn to him in the rotation given the underwhelming depth options. That lack of depth is especially frustrating, knowing that the Blue Jays let versatile southpaw Ryan Yarbrough land with the New York Yankees, a division rival.
Rodriguez is a major question mark, but when looking at the projected rotation, there's a lot to get excited about. Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt are all established veterans, and Bowden Francis looked excellent down the stretch last season. Adding Scherzer, another established veteran, takes this group to another level, so hopefully, if he is sidelined at all due to this injury, it won't be for long.