Max Scherzer is ramping up for his return to the big club.
The veteran right-hander pitched three scoreless innings at triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, striking out four and walking two on 41 pitches.
It was his first rehab outing since he was placed on the injured list on April 27 with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation.
"I was kind of getting the balls in the areas I wanted to, trying to shake some rust off here in the beginning, get back out there for the first time in a game in about a month. Good to be back out there," Scherzer told reporters after the outing.
The veteran added that he "could have" kept going during the rehab stint, but aired on the side of being "careful ... take the progress out of today. This is part of the ramp-up, just get back out there and increase the pitch count."
Scherzer struggled to start the season, posting 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.
His injury has been one of many the Blue Jays have faced this season, especially among the pitching rotation. And although Scherzer acknowledged that "of course you feel urgency" in wanting to return to his depleted squad, he added that he "has to be smart."
"You can only do what your body is allowing you to do," Scherzer explained. "So, you have to do the proper ramp-up ... you can't try to chew off too much, too early. That can lead to other problems. (But) like I said, I'm happy because my form is in a great spot and that really allows me to throw the ball the way I want to."
Fellow injured starter Shane Bieber also had a rehab outing Sunday in Dunedin. He allowed five earned runs in 2.1 innings of work.
He threw 49 pitches — 35 of them for strikes — and did not issue a walk while striking out two.
The Blue Jays currently have five starters on the injured list: Scherzer, Bieber, and Dylan Cease, as well as Jose Berrios and Cody Ponce, both of whom are out for the remainder of the season.
