Max Scherzer had a quick outing on the mound Monday in the series opener of a 2025 World Series rematch between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
He exited the game after just two innings, and while the reason for his early departure was initially unclear, he later revealed it was due to right forearm tendinitis.
“I’ve been dealing with this little issue for a couple of weeks, but it’s never been presenting when I’ve been throwing the ball; it’s actually been hurting more when I’m at home,” Scherzer said after the game, via Sportsnet.
The 41-year-old Scherzer allayed fears about a potential trip to the injured list, saying that he was trying to preserve his arm for his next assignment.
“I didn’t want to go to the IL, I just don’t think this is an IL issue where I need to miss two starts. I just needed to guard it today, so we came up with a plan that the most I would do was three innings, 50 pitches,” shared the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
Scherzer threw just 36 pitches against the Dodgers, allowing 2 earned runs on 2 hits with two strikeouts and 1 walk, as the Blue Jays suffered a 14-2 loss to the reigning World Series champions.
Through two starts in 2026, Scherzer has gone 1-1 with 3 earned runs on 6 hits (2 home runs) with 6 strikeouts across 8.0 innings.
Assuming that he won’t miss time, Scherzer’s next start is expected to take place on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre.
