'It's really stupid': Blue Jays' Scherzer on nagging thumb injury

With just over a week until Opening Day, the Toronto Blue Jays' star off-season acquisition is a bit frustrated.

Max Scherzer, who's been dealing with a sore right thumb, commented on the nagging injury on Tuesday, saying, "It's day-to-day. It's really stupid, that's what it is," per the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley.

The three-time Cy Young winner was scheduled to start a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles last Thursday but was unable to take the mound due to his dumb being sore. Scherzer noted that the issue typically flares up when he throws around 50 pitches.

He also previously noted that while an MRI did show inflammation in his thumb joint, there was no structural damage.

The right-hander threw 47 pitches in a simulated game against minor leaguers on Monday, but his status moving forward and next steps with the team won't be determined until they gauge the status of his thumb in the coming days.

"That's been the issue with this whole thumb injury," Scherzer told reporters on Monday. "It's nothing during the game or after the game. It's the next day. I just don't recover well."

Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling reports the Blue Jays' current plan calls for Scherzer to throw a side session in the next few days. The next goal, if he passes that test, would be to throw 65 pitches in a spring training game this weekend.

The club hopes to make a decision for his availability for the start of the regular season by Monday.

The 40-year-old signed a one-year, $15.5-million deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season ahead of his 18th year in the majors.

"My thumb hurts," Scherzer added after his simulated game outing. "It just hurts to grip the ball. But the more critical thing here is what I've learned over the years is that your thumb is absolutely critical to your arm health.

"That's my main concern here is that the danger of pitching (with) this is that you can sustain a shoulder injury," he added.

It's no secret that the eight-time All-Star has battled injuries the last couple of seasons, making a total of 17 appearances since 2023. Last year with the Texas Rangers, Scherzer made just nine starts due to a nerve issue that ran from his thumb to his tricep.

"It's similar," said Scherzer. "It hasn't manifested into the nerve pain yet, but that's why I'm working with the hand specialists and the doctors and the trainers (to see) how can we move forward and not have this blow up into something worse."

The two-time World Series winner has been productive in his three spring training appearances with Toronto, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out 14 and walking none over nine innings. His last time on the mound for a game was against the Detroit Tigers nearly two weeks ago, when he worked 3.1 scoreless innings and racked up six strikeouts.

The Blue Jays open their 2025 season against the Orioles on March 27 at Rogers Centre.