Max Scherzer Pulled From Blue Jays Debut Because Of Another Injury

There are three things you can be sure about when you see Max Scherzer pitch: he’ll be super competitive, he’ll give everything he has - and he’ll probably be hurt.

In the off-season, Scherzer signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, hoping to bring another world-class arm to their rotation. He got his first chance to pitch for his new team today against the Baltimore Orioles, but the start didn’t go so well.

Just 45 pitches into his Blue Jays debut, he was pulled from the game because he had soreness in his right lateral muscle.

Scherzer believes the injury comes from his body making up for a thumb injury he sustained late in Spring Training. He was only scheduled to throw 80 pitches on Saturday anyway, but this was still a disappointing result.

SIGN UP for The Daily OutKick. New Look, Same Attitude.

What a tough break for the guy. I always pity him when he’s hurt because he’s one of those guys that always wants to give it his all, even though he’s reaching the end of his career. 

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer delivers a pitch to the plate during the spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays on February 25, at the TD Ballpark. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, this injury bug is nothing new for the 40-year-old right hander. In the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers, he never pitched more than 50 innings in a season (the last time he cracked 100 was in 2023). Since that last season, when he cracked the century mark in innings, he has sustained five injuries, three to muscle groups he uses in his throwing motion.

There is no current timetable for his return. Baltimore won 9-5.