After having a rocky start to the 2025 season, the Toronto Blue Jays are bouncing back in the AL East. They just handed the St. Louis Cardinals a 4-5 loss, spiking their record to 36-30. But even with all their recent progress, the Blue Jays haven’t been operating at full capacity. Partly because one of their aces has been on the sidelines since the beginning of this season. However, the silver lining is he’s inching super close to his return.
Picked up on the hints? It’s Max Scherzer who can be the fix that the Blue Jays’ pitching staff has been missing out on. Apparently “Mad Max” has been on the injured list ever since he left his first outing with the Blue Jays.
Right after three innings, he made an early exit from the game against the Orioles on March 29. It’s a right thumb inflammation that has kept him out for months.
Now, manager John Schneider has confirmed that Scherzer is on track to start his rehab this Friday, June 13, for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. According to Schneider, the right-hander will probably require at least one more rehab outing after Friday, before he finally returns to the majors.
Max Scherzer is on track to make a rehab start Friday for the AAA Buffalo Bisons.
After that, he’ll need at least one more rehab outing, John Schneider says. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 9, 2025
In fact, on Sunday, Scherzer threw three innings of a simulated game at the Blue Jays’ player development complex located in Dunedin, Florida. Overall his outing seemed positive, but he gave away a home run to his other rehabbing teammate, Daulton Varsho.
Schneider was, however, happy with what he saw. “He (Scherzer) felt good, threw all his pitches,” the manager said.
Scherzer’s comeback might be a game changer for the Blue Jays, as they slowly find their momentum in the AL East. They have won 10 out of their last 13 games are currently 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees.
Their rotation, however, hasn’t been at its full strength. Some of their off-season additions haven’t really paid off.
Blue Jays’ off-season signings are falling flat
Scherzer’s return may offer the Blue Jays a much-needed spark they need. However, including Scherzer, Toronto’s off-season signings haven’t really been promising so far. Many acquisitions are struggling to deliver.
Take Anthony Santander, for example. The team handed him a giant 5-year, $92.5 million contract after a season where he slammed 44 home runs. His prowess and ability attracted the Blue Jays to offer him hefty bucks.
However, he is hitting .179 with a .273 on-base percentage this season. It’s a serious drop in production for a player who was signed to be a power threat for the team.
Then, we have Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin. Well, Sandlin has held it well as a reliever, but Gimenez has struggled to deliver at the plate. He had recorded a .195 average and a .273 OBP before he landed on the injured list in May. It’s been disappointing, to say the least.
Coming to Max Scherzer, he signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract. However, as we know, he has only pitched three innings across this season due to his thumb injury. He is on for a rehab assignment, but we’re still unsure if he will be able to deliver well once he returns.
The Blue Jays’ off-season signings are clearly not able to deliver enough for the team to contend well in the AL East. The additions are yet to pay off. Unless they deliver, the team’s aggressive approach might turn out counter-productive, rather than rewarding.
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