The Blue Jays have placed Max Scherzer on the 15-day IL with right thumb inflammation after the veteran pitcher exited Saturday’s game against the Orioles with lat soreness.
Scherzer lasted just three innings in his first start of the season before the injury forced him out. The 40-year-old, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Toronto this offseason, revealed the current issue is connected to a recurring thumb problem.
“I’m frustrated. I want to pitch. I know I can pitch,” Scherzer said. “I know I can throw the ball really well. Unfortunately, I have an issue going on that’s coming from the thumb. I’ve got to address this. I’ve got to zero out that thumb before I pitch again.”
The thumb inflammation is officially listed as the reason for the IL stint, but it’s directly tied to the lat problem Scherzer experienced Saturday. The three-time Cy Young winner confirmed the connection, telling reporters the issues are “100% related.”
This setback continues a troubling pattern for Scherzer. The thumb issue has plagued him for years and has progressively affected his arm and shoulder, causing more serious problems across the 2023, 2024, and now 2025 seasons. He appeared in just nine games last year due to injuries.
The Blue Jays knew they were taking on some injury risk when signing the eight-time All-Star, but they couldn’t have expected problems to surface this quickly — it’s still March, after all. While the team believes they pulled Scherzer at the right time to prevent further damage, they’ll now need to fill his spot in the rotation for at least his next two scheduled starts, possibly longer.
