Toronto Blue Jays fans may have to hold their collective breath whenever Max Scherzer starts this season.
Scherzer has been dealing with a troublesome right thumb injury that has bothered him since 2023. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has experienced pain when gripping the ball all throughout his first spring training with the Blue Jays.
On Saturday, Scherzer made his final spring training start against the Minnesota Twins at Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. After the game, Max shared additional insight into his thumb issue. The two-time World Series winner called his injury a “little thing” that could easily snowball into a “big thing” if he is not careful.
“When I’m out there, it heats up and it goes away and I’m fine,” Scherzer said, via The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner. “It’s kind of like tendinitis, in a way. Once it gets hot and gets out there, then I don’t feel it and I can pitch the way I’ve always pitched. I’m not worried about my stuff, I’m worried about how I recover — because this can blow up fast and lead to a lot of other things.
“I’ll know what damage I did on it today, tomorrow.”
If you’re a Blue Jays fan, it’s hard not to be concerned about how Scherzer described his injury.
Normally, pitchers are able to ask for medical assistance once they start experiencing some discomfort on the mound. But with Scherzer’s thumb issue, he may not feel there is anything wrong until the next day. Scherzer’s hyper-competitive nature may push him beyond his limits at times.
On the bright side, Scherzer said that his oft-injured back “is good” and assured reporters that his thumb is the lone injury that could hold him back long-term.
Scherzer looked dominant Saturday in a 2-1 win over the Twins. He allowed just two hits with four strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
