Blue Jays' Max Scherzer dominates in latest Buffalo rehab outing
Photo credit: https://www.milb.com
Toronto Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer had a strong rehab outing on Wednesday as he threw 4.1 innings on 75 pitches Wednesday evening for the Bisons, who were facing the Boston Red Sox's triple-A affiliate at Polar Park in Worcester, Mass.
Interestingly, right-hander Tanner Houck took the mound for the Red Sox in a matchup of major-league right-handers on rehab stints.
This marked Scherzer's second start for the Bisons, and, from both a pitch count and velocity perspective, it was an improvement over his output last Friday.
The righty sat at 92.5 m.p.h. with his fastball while topping out at 94.2 m.p.h. He mixed in his curveball, cutter, changeup and slider to generate 11 whiffs on 36 swings.
The 40-year-old was sharp in the first inning, striking out two batters and working around a walk to big-leaguer Wilyer Abreu, who was also making a rehab appearance.
He was even more impressive in the second frame, mowing down all three Red Sox hitters with swinging strikeouts.
In total, Scherzer allowed just one hit during the scoreless outing, walking two and striking out eight.
The Chesterfield, Missouri native is working his way back from right thumb inflammation that sent him to the injured list in late March.
Scherzer, of course, has remained cautious all the while, repeatedly stating that his recurring thumb injury could flare up at any time.
«I'm not celebrating anything until I'm actually back in big-league games and recovering in big-league games," he said following his start last Friday. "This thumb issue is a serious issue. I don't declare myself out of the woods on this because I've got to be able to do this at the big-league level and recover at the big-league level.»
"I think he always thinks his stuff is ready, but I think it's more the physical part and how he's feeling during the outing tonight, tomorrow, and the days in between," Schneider added on Wednesday. "So, that's kind of where we've landed with him. He thinks he can strike everybody out right now, whether it's seven in the morning or seven at night.
"He's going to go after you, but I think it's just how he feels, really."
Scherzer left his first and only start for the Blue Jays on Mar. 29 against Baltimore after three innings when he experienced right lat soreness, a direct result of changing his throwing motion due to the thumb injury.
The three-time Cy Young winner signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Blue Jays this past winter.
He has 216 wins, 3,408 strikeouts and a 3.16 ERA in 467 appearances with the Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Texas Rangers.
Do you think Max Scherzer is ready for the Blue Jays or does he need another Triple-A start?
Tell us what you think in the poll below.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 18 | 153 ANSWERS Blue Jays' Max Scherzer dominates in latest Buffalo rehab outing Do you think Max Scherzer is ready for the Blue Jays or does he need another Triple-A start? | ||
| Yes Blue Jays | 97 | 63.4 % |
| No Triple-A | 56 | 36.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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