The three-time Cy Young Award winner was deemed ready to start on Saturday in the third game of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The teams have each won one game so far, with Baltimore claiming a 12-2 victory on Thursday and Toronto securing an 8-2 win on Friday.
Scherzer, a right-handed pitcher, signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the team in February. He was limited to just nine starts with the Texas Rangers in 2024 due to multiple injuries, finishing with a 2-4 record and a 3.95 ERA.
However, he performed well in Toronto’s 2-1 spring training win over Minnesota, striking out four batters in four scoreless innings.
Despite his solid performance, Scherzer remains concerned about his thumb. “It’s a little thing that’s a big thing,” he said. “It’s frustrating because I know I can still pitch at a high level, and I have the pitches I can execute and locate. But right now, it’s a thumb issue that I’ll be battling until I’m fully built up.”
Scherzer threw 62 pitches against Minnesota and expects to reach 75-80 pitches on Saturday. He plans to assess how his thumb feels on Sunday after the outing.
“When I’m out there, it heats up and goes away, and I’m fine,” Scherzer explained. “It’s like tendinitis in a way—once it gets hot, I don’t feel it, and I can pitch the way I always do. I’m not worried about my stuff; I’m focused on how I recover, since this can escalate quickly and cause other issues.”
Scherzer struggled against the Orioles last season, going 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in two starts. He holds a 7-4 record with a 3.46 ERA in 16 career starts against Baltimore.
Dean Kremer, who finished last season with an 8-10 record and a 4.10 ERA, will start for Baltimore on Saturday. Kremer was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA in one start against the Blue Jays in 2024, and he has a 3-4 record with a 4.82 ERA in 11 career outings (10 starts) against them.
Neither team has used its closer yet, as the first two games were blowouts.
Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman, signed as a free agent in the offseason, warmed up on Friday but was not called into the game.
Baltimore’s closer, Felix Bautista, is returning from elbow surgery, and manager Brandon Hyde plans to use him cautiously, especially early in the season. Bautista will be limited to one inning per appearance and will not pitch on consecutive days. Hyde emphasized that if Bautista is warmed up, he would prefer to use him rather than let him sit out if the situation changes.
“We’ve discussed a plan to keep me ready and healthy for the entire season,” Bautista said. “Hopefully, that’ll carry me through the playoffs.”