ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 04: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes the field prior to the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday, May 4, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays are heading into their series with the Detroit Tigers in need of some wins as they sit toward the bottom of the American League East division and look to overcome a losing record.
There is still plenty of season left to turn things around, but after reaching the World Series last year and coming up just short, the Blue Jays will be disappointed by anything less than another magical run through the postseason.
Unfortunately for those aspirations, the team’s early season has been defined by a slew of injuries to key players.
“Injuries have defined their season so far, and while the lineup hasn’t done nearly enough around Kazuma Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., every conversation we have around this team’s struggles must be tied to the Blue Jays’ health,” MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson wrote. “No number of pleasant surprises are enough to counter the sheer number of injuries they’ve faced so far, which have made this season feel like an uphill climb.”
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Position players like Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk and George Springer have all been sidelined, as have pitchers Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Cody Ponce. And the latest injury setback for starter Max Scherzer is raising questions about how much longer his career can last.
At age 41 and with nearly 3,000 major-league innings on his arm, Max Scherzer has posted a 9.64 ERA in five starts for the Blue Jays so far this year, and he’s now wrestling with a thumb issue, forearm tendinitis and left foot inflammation.
As he tries to recover from those ailments and return to the mound for a Blue Jays team with plenty of injury problems, Scherzer offered a clear response on speculation that the combination of injuries is pushing him close to retirement.
“I wouldn’t necessarily look at it like that,” Scherzer said, per the Toronto Star’s Rosie DiManno. “I’m going to play. I’m going to do whatever it takes to play. I’ve signed up for this. I love this… There are too many times when I actually feel great (to end my career).”
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“I think Max will drive that bus,” Schneider told DiManno when asked about the pitcher’s eventual retirement. “A guy who’s done what he’s done, he’ll know when it’s time to say, ‘All right, I’m going to call it a career.’”
And since Scherzer evidently doesn’t see now as that time, despite a harsh combination of injuries, it looks like his inevitable retirement will have to wait until after this season.
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