Scherzer mirroring peak Mad Max in latest rehab start with five no-hit innings

TORONTO -- Despite having his current rehab stint paused after needing three injections in his right thumb over the All-Star break, Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer delivered a vintage performance in his return to the mound with Triple-A Buffalo.

Scherzer made his third rehab start of his current ramp-up on Wednesday for the Bisons, continuing to trend back to Toronto’s Major League rotation after hitting the injured list with a back injury in mid-June.

Here’s everything you need to know about Scherzer’s afternoon in Buffalo:

How did he perform?

Scherzer was as sharp as we’ve seen him this season, working five scoreless and hitless innings for the Bisons while striking out seven against the Rochester Red Wings. The 41-year-old threw 40 of his 56 pitches for strikes and generated 11 whiffs on 33 swings.

The only baserunner he allowed came on an error in the third inning.

A three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer mixed in 28 four-seamers, 14 sliders, nine changeups and five curveballs in the outing while averaging 92.6 mph with his fastball.

In his two previous starts on this rehab assignment -- one with Buffalo and one with High-A Vancouver -- Scherzer surrendered seven runs (six earned) over seven innings and struck out eight.

What’s next?

After the pause coming out of the break, Scherzer will likely need another rehab start to increase his pitch count beyond the 60-pitch threshold before returning to the Blue Jays.

“Ideally it’s more,” Toronto manager John Schneider said Wednesday. “You tax the bullpen, even if he’s throwing well. So, I think ideally he’s built up a little bit more. I don’t want to go back and forth with it. I kind of want to just know that’s at least 80.”

In the meantime, the Blue Jays will continue to rely upon breakout Rule 5 Draft selection Spencer Miles to handle the bulk duties in a bullpen day to make it through the No. 5 starter’s turn through the rotation.

“I have a pretty good feel that I’m going to recover pretty good from this one,” Scherzer said in Buffalo. “This wasn’t a taxing outing. Arm felt great, body felt great, thumb felt great.”

Scherzer has thrown just 22 MLB innings for the Blue Jays this season across six starts and owns a 10.23 ERA.

What are they saying?

“It looked like Max,” Schneider said. “The big thing was holding velo, which I think he did. That’s what he was focused on today. So, [we’ll] see what he says when he gets here.”

“For me, you’re just looking at the process of executing pitches,” Scherzer said after the outing. “It’s been two weeks, so to be able to get back into the zone and be able to navigate a lineup and execute pitches, that’s the good. Whether you give up hits or not, for me, I’m just focused on the process and execution.”

What else?

With the Blue Jays dropping to nine games under .500 in Tuesday’s 12-2 loss to the Rays, Scherzer’s pending return could ultimately prove to be too little, too late for Toronto if things continue to trend in the wrong direction before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.

“I just gotta worry about myself. I gotta worry about my health and going out there and being the best that I can be,” Scherzer said when asked if there was an urgency to get back to the Blue Jays. “I can’t make the team win. I can only go out there and compete and do my job to put the team in a position to win.”

As for the Bisons, they were unable to hold onto the shutout bid after Scherzer’s scoreless start, allowing a home run in the seventh.