Max Scherzer made his second rehab start with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, throwing 3.2 innings against the Worcester Red Sox and striking out five, despite Worcester scoring twice in the third and a solo homer in the fourth.
Max Scherzer’s second rehab start with the Buffalo Bisons didn’t come with perfection, but it did come with a familiar kind of control — strikeouts included.
The 41-year-old right-hander tossed 3.2 innings against the Worcester Red Sox, giving up a total of three runs on five hits while striking out five. He needed 73 pitches for the outing, including 44 for strikes, and averaged 93.4 mph with his fastball.
His repertoire looked full and deliberate: along with 35 fastballs, he threw 16 sliders, 13 changeups and nine curveballs. Through the first two innings, the Red Sox couldn’t get anything going off him. In those early frames, the veteran allowed just one runner to reach base.
Then Worcester found a crack in the third. The Red Sox put three hits together with four batters faced to push two runs across. Scherzer steadied himself after that, getting the next two batters to strike out.
The damage wasn’t finished. In the fourth, Canadian Red Sox prospect Matt Lloyd led off with a one-out solo homer off a 1-2 slider out of the zone — Scherzer’s third earned run. After the homer, he recorded a strikeout and a walk before exiting.
The rehab day wasn’t only about Scherzer. Blue Jays reliever Tommy Nance also appeared for Buffalo on Friday. He entered in the fifth, struck out the first two hitters he faced, then ran into trouble as he allowed three straight hits, two of which came around to score.
Nance threw 22 pitches in his inning, mixing a sinker, slider and curveball. The 35-year-old has been sidelined since May 16, when he was placed on the injured list with forearm discomfort.
For Scherzer, this rehab start was his second since being placed on the injured list on April 27 with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. In his previous outing with the Bisons, he threw three scoreless innings, struck out four and walked two on 41 pitches.
His recent return trail has been coming after a tough start in Toronto. With the Blue Jays this season, Scherzer posted a 9.64 ERA with 10 strikeouts and eight walks in 18.2 innings. He left an April 6 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after just two frames with forearm tendinitis.
Max Scherzer Blue Jays Buffalo Bisons Worcester Red Sox rehab start forearm tendinitis ankle inflammation Tommy Nance triple-A
He struck out five… so basically it was perfect right? Love seeing old guys still crank.
Wait why are they rehabbing in Triple-A if his ERA is that bad? 9.64 seems awful like not gonna lie.
Says forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation but he’s throwing 93 mph and 44 strikes… so it’s not really hurt? I don’t get it. Also Worcester scored twice in the third, like that’s not great for a rehab game??
Tommy Nance gave up three straight hits after striking out the first two and then only 22 pitches? Baseball math is weird. Feels like everyone’s just out there tossing sliders like it fixes the injured list or whatever. Also Scherzer averaging 93.4 mph but then an offseason villain moment with the homer… lol.