Blue Jays provide injury updates on Scherzer, Varsho and Swanson

Stay patient, Toronto Blue Jays fans.

The ball club provided a trio of injury updates on Friday, none of which signalled any imminent returns.

Starting with Max Scherzer, who hasn’t pitched for the Jays since his team debut on March 29 because of a thumb injury. The righty received a cortisone shot while in Florida this week, according to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, and the plan for Scherzer is to resume throwing on Monday or Tuesday when the team is in Houston.

The 40-year-old lasted three innings in his first game with Toronto, throwing 45 pitches while allowing three hits and two earned runs to the Baltimore Orioles in a 9-5 loss.

Scherzer signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season. The injury stint is his latest in the last couple of seasons, as the three-time Cy Young winner has made just 10 starts in the past two years.

Meanwhile, outfielder Daulton Varsho, who’s yet to make his 2025 season debut due to a shoulder injury, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with the Dunedin Blue Jays over the weekend. The Gold Glover is set to play a couple of games with the single-A affiliate before joining the Buffalo Bisons for approximately five games.

According to Zwelling, the Blue Jays are targeting their upcoming road trip in New York or the team’s following homestand vs. Boston as a potential series for Varsho’s return.

The 27-year-old played in 136 games with Toronto in 2024, his second season with the team, and slashed .214/.293/.407 for 18 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Erik Swanson is progressing toward his season debut as well, as the reliever continues to work back from “median nerve entrapment” in his forearm.

According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, Swanson will throw a simulation game on Saturday and a rehab assignment could follow. The 31-year-old made 45 appearances with Toronto last year, posting a 5.03 ERA and a 2-2 record over 39.1 innings pitched.

The Blue Jays return to action on Friday night, hosting the Seattle Mariners as they aim for a third-straight win.