Blue Jays transfer Scherzer, Swanson to 60-day injured list
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that Max Scherzer (right thumb inflammation) and Erik Swanson (right median nerve entrapment) have been moved on the 60-day injured list.
As the Toronto Blue Jays continue trying to climb over .500, they’ll have to keep doing so without a pair of veteran pitchers.
The team announced on Monday that Max Scherzer (right thumb inflammation) and Erik Swanson (right median nerve entrapment) have been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Swanson will be eligible to come off the IL on May 26, while Scherzer could return on May 29.
Subsequent to those moves, the Jays signed right-handers Spencer Turnbull and José Ureña to one-year major-league contracts — the latter of whom is set to join the Jays on their upcoming West Coast road trip.
Additionally, LHP Josh Walker has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo and Turnbull has been optioned to the Complex League roster.
Scherzer has been sidelined since the opening week of the season due to the lingering thumb issue, lasting just three innings (45 pitches) in his lone start for Toronto.
The setback is the latest in a slew of injuries for the former three-time Cy Young winner as he made a combined 17 starts in the two seasons prior to signing a one-year deal worth $15.5 million to join the Blue Jays.
Toronto was in scramble mode with the No. 5 spot in its rotation as Scherzer works his way back. The answers so far have included four Easton Lucas starts, skipping the spot in the pitching order, and most recently, a bullpen day led by Yariel Rodriguez.
Meanwhile, Swanson has yet to take the mound for Toronto this season because of his forearm injury. Although an MRI showed no structural damage, the reliever has made little progress in terms of returning to the lineup.
The 31-year-old was shut down before a rehab game last Wednesday and will now presumably be on the shelf for the foreseeable future. Swanson’s setback also speaks to a continuing trend, as it’s the second consecutive year he’s dealt with injuries to start a season.
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Once he returned to the field in 2024, the six-foot-three right-hander struggled and was eventually optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. To his credit, Swanson did eventually show flashes of the form that made him so effective in 2023. Over his final 24.2 innings of 2024, he pitched to a 2.55 ERA and 27 strikeouts. His final line for the season showed a 5.03 ERA.
Going back to the Jays’ additions, Urena joins the ball club after pitching to a 3.80 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 109.0 innings as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2024. The 33-year-old made one appearance for the New York Mets this season, lasting three innings while allowing five earned runs on two homers.
Turnbull spent 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies, making seven starts through his 17 appearances. The 32-year-old posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in that span.
The 16-18 Blue Jays return to action on Tuesday, looking to snap a two-game skid as they visit the Los Angeles Angels to begin a three-game road series.
