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Max Scherzer has been poor for the Blue Jays in 2026.

Toronto Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer reacted after another ugly start for his team, giving up 7 ER to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.

Scherzer came into Friday night with history on his mind, as he sits just one strikeout shy of 3,500 Ks for his legendary MLB career. However, he endured one of his worst starts of the season, giving up 7 ER, including 3 home runs, to the Guardians in just 2.1 IP before he was mercifully pulled by Blue Jays skipper John Schneider. For Scherzer, his record on the year drops to 1-3, with a horrific 9.64 ERA that is among the highest of any pitcher in baseball this year. He will also have to wait to rack up the historic strikeout No. 3,500, as he wasn’t able to punch anyone out on Friday.

Following the game, which the Blue Jays lost 8-6 after fighting hard to come back late, Scherzer reacted to his awful start.

“It just stinks to lose this one. All of the other guys in the clubhouse did their job. The offense fought. The bullpen came in and stepped up to cover some innings there. It stinks to have a clunker out there. I’ve got to watch the tape tomorrow and go back to work. That’s what you do. That’s part of the game. You get punched in the face, spit it out, wake back up, figure out what’s wrong, then go back out there and compete again,” Scherzer said (via MLB’s Keegan Matheson).

The End Could Be Near for Max Scherzer

At age 41, it appears that Scherzer is on his last legs. No one wants to say it, but Father Time gets every athlete, and this might be it for Scherzer. Last year, he didn’t have the best regular season for the Blue Jays, as he pitched to an elevated 5.19 ERA in 17 starts. But the veteran arm showed his value during the postseason, as he pitched well for the Blue Jays in the World Series. That led to the team coming to a deal on a one-year contract with Scherzer to return to the team for another season, a deal signed during Spring Training. However, he has really struggled this year, and his job could be at risk when the team’s injured starters return.

What Will the Blue Jays Do With Max Scherzer?

The Blue Jays’ starting rotation right now includes Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Eric Lauer, Patrick Corbin, and Scherzer. Cease and Gausman are the co-aces of the pitching staff and are locks to remain in the rotation as long as they are healthy. Lauer has struggled and could be demoted to the bullpen when other starters return from the injured list, while Corbin is at risk of being DFA’d due to a roster crunch when everyone is healthy, though he has performed surprisingly well for the Blue Jays thus far.

As for Scherzer, his spot in the rotation is very much at risk when Jose Berrios, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber all return to health, which is looking like it might be coming in the next few weeks. When that happens, the Blue Jays will have difficult decisions to make with their depth starters, including with Scherzer. It is worth noting that Scherzer has dealt with forearm tendinitis this year, so perhaps the team could give him an IL stint to rest his arm and take a mental break. But given his struggles in 2026, it feels like his spot in the rotation is no longer under lock and key.