Max Scherzer Rehabs with Herd

By: Brian Frank

Future Hall of Fame hurler Max Scherzer took the mound for the Bisons against the Columbus Clippers on Friday night. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star is working his way back from a right-thumb injury, last pitching in a big-league game on March 29, his Blue Jays regular season debut.

The 40-year-old right-hander worked 4 1/3 innings for Buffalo, allowing two runs on four hits without issuing a walk. The three-time National League strikeout leader fanned four batters, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the second inning. He exited to a loud ovation after striking out Kyle Datres to begin the fourth inning. Scherzer waived to the 11,614 fans in attendance as he strolled from the mound to the Bisons third-base dugout. Buffalo would end up scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game 6-5.

“I got my work in,” Scherzer said postgame. “To get back out there and be in a real game, compete against somebody else that's not your teammate. It's nice to face somebody else and be in a real game. You definitely take it to another level as a different level of competition. So, I’m on the mend here, and trying to get back as fast as possible.”

Future Hall of Famer in downtown Buffalo. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

Scherzer pounded the strike zone all night. Of his 56 pitches, 39 were in the zone. His fastball averaged 91.9 mph, topping out at 94 mph. Ever the perfectionist, Scherzer, owner of two no-hitters as well as a 20-strikeout game, was still not satisfied with the results despite the high strike percentage.

“Even though I was throwing strikes, I wasn't actually getting it into the exact spots I was trying to get it into,” he explained. “And that's just feel, that's just rhythm. You can pitch as many simulated games you want, but that's just not real. Until you actually get in a real game where you’ve really got to put the ball where you want to. That just takes a little time, a little feel and a little rhythm. That’ll come as I get more games underneath my belt.”

Despite his solid effort, the Chesterfield, Missouri native believes the real test will come on Saturday, when he sees how his injured thumb responds.

“Tomorrow is a very important day to be able to make sure that my body is responding correctly, that I didn't do too much today, but I’ll only know that tomorrow,” he said. “I feel like I did the right amount. We we're looking for 60 to 65 pitches. I came up a little short of that. So, I thought I put myself in the position to be able to recover well.”

He believes he’ll need an additional rehab start, but a final decision on how long he’ll be with the Herd has yet to be made. The Bisons will be in Worcester for a six-game series next week.

“I definitely need another one for sure,” he said. “So we'll talk, obviously, with the organization and the powers that be. Talk through, hey, one – how do I feel? How do I recover? How's everything going? And try to make that determination later. I don't want to sit here and say it’s only one more or two more. It'll be a collective decision. It's not just my decision. It’ll be a collective decision of when I will actually pitch in the big leagues.”

Three-time Cy Young Award Winner Max Scherzer. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

Although his outing with the Bisons was a step in the right direction, the famously competitive Scherzer knows he’s not in the clear yet – and he won’t be satisfied until he’s back winning games with the Blue Jays.

“I'm not celebrating anything until I'm actually back in the big leagues, in big league games, and recovering in big league games,” he said. “Like I said, this thumb issue is a serious issue. And I'm still not out of the woods. 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.”

Scherzer joins an impressive list of big-league stars who’ve rehabbed for the Bisons the last few seasons, including Bo Bichette, Hyun Jin Ryu, Danny Jansen, and Jordan Romano. Another baseball legend, Joey Votto, also played 15 games with Buffalo last season as he attempted to return to the big leagues before ultimately retiring.

Scherzer isn’t looking to extend his rehab any longer than necessary, as he’s anxious to rejoin the Blue Jays’ rotation and help the team in their playoff quest. Toronto has been one of the hottest teams in baseball, recently winning 12 out of 14 games.

“The team's playing well,” he said of the Blue Jays. “I'm chomping at the bit. I'm dying here. I want to be out there helping the team as much as anybody. I hate sitting here on the I.L. I want to be out there competing and help the ballclub win. So, I’ve got to do my work here. I’ve got to do this process right. I’ve got to build up right – and if I do, I can be back out there.”