When the Blue Jays signed a three-time Cy Young Award winner, expectations skyrocketed. The veteran ace was brought in to anchor the rotation, bring experience to the clubhouse, and push the club deeper into postseason contention. But hopes were quickly put on hold after his brief debut on March 29 before being sidelined with right thumb inflammation. What followed was a long, frustrating stretch of uncertainty.

You might have guessed the name by now. Yes, Max Scherzer!

And amid such a scenario, just when fans lost all hope about Scherzer, a highly encouraging update has finally arrived. Considering the heavily contested third ranking of the Blue Jays in the AL East, this might be a breath of fresh air.

“Max Scherzer threw a 33-pitch bullpen, and everything felt good. Next: He’ll throw off a mound another time or two before facing hitters,” the Blue Jays reporter, Keegan Matheson, quoted the team manager, John Schneider.

Well, on Tuesday, Scherzer reportedly took a significant step forward in his recovery, facing hitters in a 33-pitch live batting practice. The outing went well, and that’s an encouraging sign for both the pitcher and the team. So, if all continues according to plan, Scherzer is slated to throw another live session in the coming days.

According to several sources, Scherzer is targeting to return to the league game by the 29th of this month.

But will it be easy for the 40-year-old pitcher to offer reliability as expected by Toronto?

Well, at his age, Scherzer is no stranger to the injured list. Since 2022, the veteran right-hander has endured a string of setbacks, landing on the IL seven times, often due to thumb or shoulder-related issues. So, indeed, a risky move again by the Blue Jays in landing him! But it has a reason…

When healthy, Scherzer remains one of the game’s most competitive and battle-tested arms. While his velocity may not match the electric heights of his prime, his command, sequencing, and tough mentality continue to set him apart. If you remember, during spring training, he offered glimpses of his vintage form. Hence, the Blue Jays were banking on both his performance and presence to help stabilize a rotation in desperate need of both.

The Blue Jays’ pitching rotation needs a breather

For starters, the Blue Jays’ pitching division is struggling a lot this season. Plagued by injuries, inconsistency, and underperformance, it has resulted in one of the worst starting pitching ERAs in baseball. As of mid-May, their starters carried a 4.49 ERA, among the bottom tier in the league.

And one of the most glaring issues has been their susceptibility to the long ball. The Blue Jays have allowed 68 home runs through just 46 games, the second-most in all of MLB! That troubling trend has not only led to inflated ERAs but also heaped added pressure on an already dwindling bullpen. It’s been a key contributor to the team’s sub-500 record.

The existing starters, like Bowden Francis, have opened the floodgates for rivals’ home runs. He has allowed 12 homers in his first eight starts, contributing to the team’s high home run rate. The next in line, Kevin Gausman, is struggling with a 4.59 ERA.

No doubt, the existing rotation looks like it has been held together with desperation. Majorly relying on stopgaps rather than solutions. And in that context, the looming return of a healthy, effective Max Scherzer isn’t just encouraging, but essential.

For a team starving for stability on the mound, this was exactly the news they needed.