ANAHEIM, Calif. — Max Scherzer took what the Toronto Blue Jays hope is a major step in his return from a proper thumb damage on Wednesday when he threw to hitters for the primary time since occurring the injured checklist in March.
“I believed his stuff was actually good,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned earlier than Wednesday evening’s sport towards the Los Angeles Angels. “Afterward, he mentioned he felt good, in order that’s a very good step in the fitting route.”
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Younger Award winner who signed a one-year, $15.5 million take care of Toronto in February, threw 20 pitches. Barring a setback, Schneider mentioned he’ll repeat the exercise however with extra pitches over the weekend.
“It felt good,” Scherzer, 40, mentioned. “I’ve gotten all of the irritation out, so I can lastly grip the ball once more and never blow out my shoulder. However I am not celebrating this till I am again beginning in a significant league sport.”
Scherzer has taken two cortisone injections to alleviate irritation within the thumb this season. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list earlier this week and isn’t eligible to be activated till Could 29.
He went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 9 begins for Texas final season, beginning the yr on the injured checklist whereas recovering from decrease again surgical procedure. He mentioned Tuesday that his problematic proper thumb, which additionally impacted his 2022 and 2023 seasons, was simply as huge of a problem in 2024.
“That is what knocked me out in 2023, and (I had it) all of final yr,” Scherzer mentioned. “It wasn’t a lot the again damage, it was this thumb damage giving me all of the matches on the planet. I believed I addressed it. I believed I had completed all of the grip-strength work, however I got here into spring coaching, and it popped again out.”
Scherzer left his debut begin with the Blue Jays towards Baltimore on March 29 after three innings due to soreness in his proper lat muscle. He mentioned after the sport that his thumb difficulty was guilty for that soreness.