TORONTO — Veteran right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer’s brief outing Monday night has deepened the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting rotation crisis, as the three-time Cy Young Award recipient departed his start versus the Los Angeles Dodgers following just two innings of work.
The 41-year-old hurler, who inked a new deal with Toronto this past February, surrendered two earned runs on a pair of hits during his shortened appearance.
Los Angeles struck first when Teoscar Hernández launched a home run in the opening frame, plating Kyle Tucker who had reached base via walk.
Concerning velocity readings showed Scherzer’s fastball velocity declining from an average of 93.4 mph during his March 31 outing against Colorado to just 92.1 mph throughout Monday’s abbreviated performance against the Dodgers.
Southpaw Josh Fleming, recently promoted from Triple-A Buffalo prior to Monday’s contest, assumed pitching duties beginning in the third inning.
Toronto’s rotation troubles have reached critical levels with four pitchers currently occupying spots on the injured list, including right-hander Cody Ponce. Ponce sustained a knee injury during his first major league appearance since 2021 last Monday, exiting in the third inning after chasing down an infield ground ball.
Additional sidelined hurlers include right-handers Trey Yesavage (shoulder ailment), Jose Berrios (elbow issue), and Shane Bieber (elbow problem), all of whom remain in rehabilitation and have not taken the mound this season.
In response to the mounting injuries, Toronto signed 36-year-old left-handed veteran Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal last Friday. Corbin made his organizational debut Saturday with Single-A Dunedin, yielding one run across five innings of work.
