Max Scherzer threw a 22-pitch bullpen session at Yankee Stadium on Monday, accelerating his timeline back from right forearm tendinitis and sending ripples through MLB Bullpen Rankings across the American League East. The three-time Cy Young winner, who last pitched April 24, could face live batters this week — a development that would force Toronto’s front office to make a critical roster decision.
Scherzer’s 1-3 record and 9.24 ERA through five starts hardly scream ace, but his mere presence changes the calculus for a Blue Jays relief corps that has been patching together innings since his injury. Toronto’s pen currently ranks in the middle third of the league in ERA+, and Scherzer’s return — whether to the rotation or a hybrid role — would cascade down the entire pitching hierarchy.
How Scherzer’s Injury Reshaped Toronto’s Relief Corps
When Scherzer went down in late April, Toronto’s relievers absorbed the workload. Middle-inning arms suddenly found themselves covering sixth and seventh frames with regularity. The ripple showed up in the numbers: the pen posted a collective ERA north of 4.50 during the stretch Scherzer missed, and manager John Schneider leaned heavily on high-leverage arms in spots that didn’t warrant it.
Advanced metrics paint a more nuanced picture. Toronto’s bullpen FIP during that stretch sat closer to 4.10, indicating some bad luck on batted balls. But BABIP against the relief corps spiked to .320, well above the league average of roughly .290. That gap between FIP and ERA is exactly the kind of thing that makes front offices nervous — it implies the struggles weren’t entirely self-inflicted, but they also weren’t entirely fluky.
What the Bullpen Session Actually Tells Us
Scherzer’s 22-pitch session at Yankee Stadium was his most intensive throwing since the injury shut him down. The location itself is notable — the Blue Jays were in New York for a series, and having Scherzer throw there rather than returning to Toronto suggests the medical staff wanted him on a major-league mound with full monitoring. Per ESPN, the next step is facing batters, which could happen as early as this week.
The velocity data hasn’t been made public, but the pitch count is the real tell. Twenty-two pitches is a standard starter’s warmup, not a rehab tuneup. If Scherzer was throwing at full effort with his full repertoire, that’s a strong signal the forearm is responding. Toronto’s medical staff has been notably cautious with forearm cases this season — the difference between tendinitis and something structural can be a matter of millimeters on an MRI.
Key Developments
- Scherzer’s last start came on April 24, meaning he will have missed roughly four weeks if he returns by late May
- Outfielder Nathan Lukes, out since April 24 with a strained left hamstring, is scheduled to DH for Class A Dunedin on Tuesday and could be cleared for hitting and throwing after a follow-up with a doctor in Toronto
- Scherzer’s 9.24 ERA through five starts is the highest of his career over any five-start stretch, raising questions about whether the forearm issue was affecting him before he went on the injured list
- The Blue Jays’ pen has been operating without a defined fifth starter since Scherzer’s absence, forcing Schneider to use openers and piggyback relievers in rotation spots
Where Toronto Stands in MLB Bullpen Rankings
Toronto’s relief corps currently sits around 16th in MLB Bullpen Rankings by WAR, a middling position that reflects both inconsistency and the lack of a true shutdown closer. The Blue Jays have relied on a committee approach in the ninth inning, with no single reliever recording more than four saves through the season’s first seven weeks. That lack of definition at the back end has been a recurring theme in Toronto’s postseason exits.
Scherzer’s return — even if it’s to the rotation — would allow Schneider to reallocate relief innings more strategically. A healthy Scherzer eating six or seven innings per start frees the high-leverage arms for the spots where they matter most. It’s a domino effect that could lift Toronto’s pen from middle-of-the-pack to genuinely dangerous.
The broader AL East landscape adds urgency. The Yankees’ relief corps has been dominant, anchored by a closer sporting a sub-2.00 ERA. The Red Sox have leaned on a high-strikeout setup man who ranks in the top 10 in chase rate. Tampa Bay, per usual, has cobbled together a functional pen from castoffs and prospects. Toronto needs Scherzer healthy not just for his own production but to stabilize the innings around him.
What’s Next for Scherzer and the Blue Jays
The immediate question is whether Scherzer faces batters this week, as the ESPN report suggests is possible. If that session goes well, a rehab assignment at Triple-A Buffalo could follow within 10 days, putting a late-June return to the rotation on the table. But there’s an alternative path Toronto could consider: shifting Scherzer to a relief role for the stretch run, using him as a multi-inning weapon in high-leverage spots.
It’s a move the Rays made with veteran starters in recent years, and it could maximize Scherzer’s impact while managing his workload. The counterargument is straightforward. Scherzer has been a starter for 19 major-league seasons. Asking him to adapt to a relief role midseason, at age 41, with a recently injured forearm, is a lot to ask. The Blue Jays didn’t sign him to pitch the eighth inning. But in a division where every game matters, Toronto may need to be flexible.
MLB Bullpen Rankings will continue to shift as the season progresses, but Scherzer’s health remains one of the biggest variables in the AL East. If he returns to form, Toronto’s pitching staff transforms from a question mark into a strength. If the forearm lingers, the Blue Jays’ pen will keep absorbing innings it wasn’t designed to handle.
When did Max Scherzer last pitch for the Blue Jays?
Scherzer’s last start came on April 24, 2026. He was shut down shortly after with right forearm tendinitis and has been rehabbing since, throwing his first bullpen session of approximately 22 pitches on May 18 at Yankee Stadium.
How has Toronto’s bullpen performed without Scherzer?
Toronto’s pen posted an ERA above 4.50 during the stretch Scherzer missed, though the underlying FIP of approximately 4.10 suggests some of the struggles were driven by an elevated BABIP of .320 rather than purely poor pitch quality.
Could Max Scherzer return to a bullpen role instead of the rotation?
It’s possible but unlikely. Scherzer has been a starter for 19 seasons, and Toronto signed him for the rotation. However, a multi-inning relief role could manage his workload and maximize high-leverage impact, a strategy the Rays have used with veteran starters in recent years.
Who else on the Blue Jays is rehabbing an injury?
Outfielder Nathan Lukes, sidelined since April 24 with a strained left hamstring, is scheduled to serve as designated hitter for Class A Dunedin on Tuesday. He was in Toronto for a follow-up with a doctor and could be cleared to begin hitting and throwing.
