Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer to receive cortisone injection to help manage right thumb

Injured right-hander Max Scherzer is due to receive yet another cortisone injection in his pitching arm, the Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday.

Scherzer, who had a cortisone shot injected last Thursday to address his right forearm tendinitis, will soon receive another one — but this time in his right thumb. Yes, that’s the same thumb that plagued him throughout most of last season, leading to just 17 starts in 2025.

Manager John Schneider revealed that Scherzer, in addition to his right forearm and left ankle ailments, had also been experiencing a bit more discomfort in his right thumb recently. The club’s skipper stressed this isn’t something new, but they decided to handle it while he’s on the 15-day injured list, hoping to “kill two birds with one stone,” as he added.

The 41-year-old starter did play catch pre-game at the Rogers Centre, but he’ll now be down from throwing again for another 4-5 days after receiving his latest pain-management injection.

It’s a rather interesting, albeit troubling, update on the future Hall-of-Fame hurler. If you’re counting at home, this is already Scherzer’s third reported ailment of the 2026 campaign, which is only 40 games old.

We appear to be on the other side of his left ankle sprain, and the Blue Jays certainly consider that positive news. But the nagging forearm tendinitis, now compounded with the return of his thumb soreness, further clouds his status moving forward.

Without question, Scherzer needs to be fully healthy before he can rejoin Toronto’s rotation, which is down to just four starters once again following the announcement of Eric Lauer being designated for assignment. How they reach that point, however, remains the million-dollar question.

Until then, the Blue Jays are still in a holding pattern regarding their vacant fifth starter’s spot, needing someone to grab hold of it — possibly Spencer Miles, who’ll factor into a bullpen game (if one’s needed) on Saturday in Detroit — as Scherzer, who owns a bloated 9.64 ERA and 6.20 FIP in five starts this season, awaits more answers on his perplexing injury situation.