Toronto Blue Jays' Eric Lauer: 'Max Scherzer was the culprit behind fat lip'
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Toronto Blue Jays lefty Eric Lauer quipped about the reason behind his fat lip on Thursday.
Blue Jays lefthander Eric Lauer continued his breakout campaign, pitching eight innings of one-run ball to help power his club to an 11-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. And he did it while pitching with a fat lip.
Eric Lauer says he had to get six stitches on his lip because he bothered Max Scherzer before his start
Blue Jays Eric Lauer really didn't clarify whether it was a joke or if Max Scherzer made him pay for breaking his rule
Naturally, reporters wanted to know why Lauer had a fat lip. The Blue Jays southpaw, tongue-in-cheek, had the perfect explanation after the game.
"So, there's kind of this known thing to not mess with [Max] Scherzer on his start days," Lauer said. "Especially when he has his headphones in. And I broke that rule. I tried to talk to him a little too early. So, he wasn't very happy about that. And six stitches is what you get for that."
However, Lauer's refusal to clarify only added fuel to the curious clubhouse fire.
A wry smile, a shrug, and no follow-up turned fiction into semi-plausible folklore. Fans and reporters weren't sure whether to laugh or look for camera footage. It's easy to doubt a story, but harder to doubt Scherzer's temper.
Whether Lauer was protecting a secret or perfecting a stand-up routine, we may never know.
What's certain is that timing a joke as well as a fastball is an underrated skill.
In a league where every bruise gets analyzed, Lauer gave us mystery, mischief, and maybe a little misdirection.
One thing's clear: if Scherzer did hit him, Lauer's lucky it wasn't with a fastball.
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