The Toronto Blue Jays have officially moved Max Scherzer, a seasoned right-handed pitcher, to the 15-day injured list due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, as confirmed by the team on Monday. This decision was made retroactively from Saturday.
Scherzer’s shift to the IL follows a challenging performance last Friday, where he gave up seven earned runs on six hits in just 2 1/3 innings during an 8-6 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The 41-year-old, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, currently holds a 1-3 record with a 9.64 earned-run average across five starts this season.
To replace Scherzer, the Blue Jays have called up right-handed pitcher Chase Lee from triple-A Buffalo, who has demonstrated strong form with a 1.32 ERA and two saves in 13 2/3 relief innings over nine appearances for the Bisons this season. Lee was swiftly added to Toronto’s lineup for their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
Despite his recent struggles, Scherzer, who notably started Game 7 of last year’s World Series, remains committed to the Blue Jays after agreeing to a one-year contract worth $3 million US, with the potential to earn up to $10 million through performance bonuses tied to innings pitched.
This season, Scherzer has faced challenges completing games, with Friday marking his third instance of failing to pitch three innings. He previously had to exit an April 6 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to forearm discomfort, and later endured a tough outing on April 12 against Minnesota, conceding eight runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings.
A veteran of the sport, Scherzer, an eight-time all-star, posted a 5-5 record with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts and 85 innings for the Blue Jays last year. He also played a significant role in the postseason, securing a victory against Seattle in the American League Championship Series and making two starts in the World Series against the Dodgers.
With two World Series titles under his belt from his time with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023, Scherzer currently sits at 11th on the all-time strikeouts list with 3,499, just 10 strikeouts behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.