The Toronto Blue Jays placed Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list Sunday, one day after the veteran right-hander lasted just three innings in his debut with the team.
Scherzer, 40, allowed two solo homers in the first inning and three hits overall before exiting Toronto’s 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday due to right thumb inflammation.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner agreed to a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the Blue Jays in January after going 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA last season with the Texas Rangers. It marked the fewest wins in Scherzer’s career since his rookie year in 2008.
Scherzer is 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA in his career. He ranks second among active pitchers and 11th all-time with 3,408 strikeouts. He also is second among active pitchers in wins, innings pitched (2,881) and games started (458).
Justin Verlander, his former teammate, is the leader in each category.
Scherzer earned Cy Young Awards with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and the Washington Nationals in 2016 and 2017. He won World Series with the Nationals in 2019 as well as with the Rangers in 2023.
Also Sunday, the Blue Jays recalled left-hander Easton Lucas from Triple-A Buffalo.
Toronto also selected the contract of Mason Fluharty and designated fellow left-hander Richard Lovelady for assignment.
Lucas, 28, is 1-0 with a 9.82 ERA in 14 career relief appearances with the Athletics, Tigers and Blue Jays.
Fluharty, 23, had a 1.29 ERA in eight games during spring training. He has yet to make his major league debut.
Lovelady, 29, fell to 0-1 with a 21.60 ERA on the young season after permitting four earned runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings on Saturday.
