J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time , published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

The Toronto Blue Jays scratched one of their biggest offseason signees from his fourth spring training start because of a right thumb injury.

Max Scherzer signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the Blue Jays in February coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season with the Texas Rangers in which he made just nine starts.

The 40-year-old right-hander was able to make each of his first three scheduled spring training starts for Toronto. After his third, he reportedly developed a sore right thumb that will prevent him from pitching Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles.

According to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet , Scherzer's status will be announced in the days to come. Manager John Schneider said the team is "just being extra careful with him."

In three starts in his first preseason with the Blue Jays, Scherzer has pitched nine innings in Grapefruit League play. He's allowed only two runs while walking none and striking out 14 batters — a promising start to his first season in Toronto.

Scherzer underwent surgery for a herniated disk in his back in Dec. 2023, an injury that hampered him during the Rangers' World Series run. He made eight starts for Texas down the stretch, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA, but left Game 3 of the World Series with back spasms. He was ultimately removed from Texas' World Series roster ahead of the series-clinching Game 5.

The following spring training, Scherzer did not pitch at all while rehabbing from the surgery. He didn't make his regular season debut until June, then made just eight starts before going back on the injured list because of right shoulder fatigue.

Scherzer made it back to the mound for one more start but ultimately landed back on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. That effectively ended his eventful season-plus with the Rangers.

More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports .

About the writer

J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time , published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.