Max Scherzer's path back to the Toronto Blue Jays continued on Friday.
The 41-year-old right-hander made his second rehab start with triple-A Buffalo Bisons, throwing 3.2 innings of three-run, five-hit ball against the Worcester Red Sox while striking out five.
Scherzer tossed 73 pitches in the outing — 44 for strikes — averaging 93.4 m.p.h. with his fastball in the outing. Along with 35 heaters, the three-time Cy Young winner tossed 16 sliders, 13 changeups and nine curveballs.
"Good outing to get all pitches going, get attacking, sequencing, all the things. Get in some jams, pitch out of the stretch," Scherzer said after the outing. "So kind of got a little bit of everything out of this start today. Felt like my body really responded well, My arm felt great.
"I was able to push the pitch count kind of get up there, even (over) 70. I felt physically good, even at the end. So, checked a lot of boxes today.”
The Red Sox didn't manage a run against Scherzer in the first two innings, as the veteran allowed just one runner to reach base through the early frames. But Worcester rallied in the third with three hits on four batters to push two runs across.
Scherzer limited the damage from there, getting the next two batters to strike out.
His third earned run came in the fourth, when Canadian Red Sox prospect Matt Lloyd hit a one-out solo homer off a 1-2 slider out of the zone. Scherzer then recorded a strikeout and a walk before exiting.
Blue Jays reliever Tommy Nance also made a rehab appearance for Buffalo on Friday. He entered in the fifth and struck out the first two hitters he faced before allowing three straight hits, two of which came around to score.
Nance threw 22 pitches in his inning of work, mixing in a sinker, slider and curveball. The 35-year-old was placed on the injured list on May 16 with forearm discomfort.
As for Scherzer, it was his second rehab outing after being placed on the injured list on April 27 with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. In his last time out with the Bisons, he threw three scoreless innings, struck out four and walked two on 41 pitches.
"Really none," he said Friday when asked which injuries he's currently feeling the most. "I got rid of that tendinitis in my forearm. I’ve done all the exercises to get rid of it. (When the) ball’s coming out of my hand, I don’t feel that little tug on my forearm anymore. So that’s the No. 1 thing I’m really worried about."
Scherzer struggled to start the season with the Blue Jays, 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.
