Max Scherzer is expected to lose his spot in the rotation

Max Scherzer is expected to lose his spot in the rotation
Credit: Sportsnet

Last night, on the Passion MLB podcast, Sébastien Berrouard and I discussed the topic of injuries on the Blue Jays.

We invite you to listen to the podcast, by the way.

Several pitchers have been cut in recent days (Yariel Rodriguez, Adam Macko, and Connor Seabold) to make room for Tommy Nance, Dylan Cease, and Max Scherzer. But it's not over yet.

Yimi Garcia and Shane Bieber, likely next week, will be back—if all goes well. Bieber will pitch in Buffalo today.

Not only will two more pitchers be cut, but John Schneider will have decisions to make regarding his rotation. Will he go with six guys? If so, that will make for a tight rotation.

Since we wrapped up yesterday's podcast recording, we've seen just how far from his best Max Scherzer has been since returning to action. Aside from his 3,500th career strikeout, there's nothing positive to take away from his outing, in which he allowed five earned runs over 3.1 innings.

Because his season is going poorly (whether he's healthy or not, he seems to have run out of gas), one wonders if a return to the injured list might be a solution.

You don't DFA a legend like him easily. That's why the (phantom) injured list is an idea that's gaining traction.

John Schneider, however, said after the game that MadMax was healthy and deserved the chance to prove himself.

The manager said he didn't want to make a knee-jerk decision. He also said that Scherzer deserves the chance to find consistency.

We agree that things can change quickly, especially if the performances aren't there. We also agree that Schneider isn't the type to put his players on the spot in front of the media.

Let's just say that Bieber's potential return—which could see him take Scherzer's spot in the rotation if needed—is going to put pressure on the future Hall of Famer in the coming days.

PMLB
  • The ball is in Las Vegas.
  • Ouch.
  • Huge win for the Pirates against the Dodgers.
  • Wow.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.