Flash Update: Max Scherzer Fires 56 Bullets in Triple‑A Tune‑Up, Bringing Blue Jays’ Three‑Time Cy Young Winner to the Brink of a Big‑League Return

It was only a Friday night in Buffalo, more than 600 kilometres from Rogers Centre, but every pitch Max Scherzer uncorked for the Bisons felt amplified through the Blue Jays’ clubhouse speakers. The 40‑year‑old right‑hander—whose signature snarl and 3,400‑plus career strikeouts made him Toronto’s marquee winter acquisition—stepped onto the mound for his first competitive outing since inflammation in his right thumb forced him out of his March 29 season debut. By the time Scherzer walked off the diamond, he had logged 56 pitches across 4⅓ innings, fanning four, walking none and topping out at 94 mph. The box score was solid; the body language, better. “I came out of it feeling exactly the way I hoped—normal baseball fatigue,” Scherzer told reporters after the 4–2 Bisons win. “That gives me permission to focus on recovery and the next one.”

Toronto’s medical staff had set a loose target of 60 pitches, so Scherzer’s 56 did not surprise manager John Schneider. What mattered much more, he said, was how the veteran’s thumb responded in the next 48 hours. “The velocity readings mean very little if the joint swells up tomorrow,” Schneider explained before the Jays’ own game in Philadelphia. “We’re tracking strength, grip, range of motion—all that stuff that doesn’t get published in the box.”

Still, the raw metrics were encouraging. Of Scherzer’s 56 offerings, 39 went for strikes, including a handful of four‑seamers that kissed 94 and a slider that drew awkward swings. His lone blemish—a two‑run homer surrendered in the fourth—came on a cutter that drifted over the plate, but he rebounded by freezing the next hitter on a back‑door slider. “Command normally lags behind stuff when you’re coming off an injury,” Scherzer noted. “I’m okay with that trade‑off in game one.”

The Blue Jays have every reason to remain cautious. Scherzer’s thumb issue already represented his seventh injured‑list stint in four seasons, a stretch that also included back spasms, shoulder fatigue and, famously, the teres major strain that derailed his 2023 postseason. Yet club executives maintain that the risk profile was baked into last December’s two‑year, $46 million deal. “When you acquire a future Hall of Famer at this stage, you know you’re buying volatility,” general manager Ross Atkins said back in spring training. “But even 20 healthy starts of vintage Scherzer can swing a playoff race.”

If all goes well, the next step is a second rehab appearance on Wednesday—likely another turn with Triple‑A Buffalo—where Scherzer’s pitch count could climb toward 75. The front office has pencilled in one additional start after that, leaving open the possibility of a late‑June return against either the Rays or Yankees. Scherzer, typically relentless, refused to circle dates on the calendar. “I don’t declare myself out of the woods until I’m back on a big‑league mound, making 95 pitches and recovering like it’s nothing,” he said.

Toronto’s rotation could use the reinforcements. Kevin Gausman and José Berríos have been steady but unspectacular, while Chris Bassitt’s ERA has hovered north of four and rookie left‑hander Ricky Tiedemann is on a team‑imposed innings cap. A healthy Scherzer not only deepens the group but also cascades talent into the bullpen; one source indicated Yariel Rodríguez could slide into a multi‑inning relief role once the former Nationals ace is activated. “Our pitching has held the line,” Schneider said, “but Max at something close to full throttle changes the matchup math.”

Beyond the numbers, the psychological jolt is real. Scherzer’s reputation for competitive ferocity precedes him—the dug‑in glare, the between‑start conditioning routines, the refusal to hand the ball to anyone but the manager. “When a guy with three Cy Youngs shows up at 8 a.m. to run poles on a rehab day, rookies notice,” said Bisons skipper Casey Candaele. “It elevates the entire room.” Fans in Buffalo noticed, too; attendance topped 12,000, roughly double the club’s Friday average. The right‑hander tipped his cap as he exited to a standing ovation.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, sit four games behind the Orioles in the AL East but own a half‑game edge in the Wild Card chase. Their offence—propelled by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s June surge and a resurgent Bo Bichette—has steadied after a sluggish April. Scherzer’s timeline thus intersects neatly with a pivotal stretch: a nine‑game divisional gauntlet against Baltimore, New York and Boston that could redefine the standings by Canada Day. “We’ve kept our head above water,” Bichette said. “Now imagine adding Max in late June and starting to play our best ball—that’s the recipe.”

For Scherzer, the comeback quest doubles as a career milestone. He sits 14 victories shy of 230 and needs 34 strikeouts to pass Gaylord Perry for 10th on the all‑time list. Yet personal milestones remain secondary. “History books are nice, but rings are nicer,” he quipped. Toronto hasn’t won a World Series since 1993, and no player on the current roster has worn a championship ring beyond spring‑training photo shoots. “That’s why I’m here,” Scherzer said simply. “Get healthy, get back, and pitch the games that matter.”