The Toronto Blue Jays are altering their weekend plans.
Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are swapping starts to give the former "an extra day" to heal from back tightness, manager John Schneider said on Blair and Barker on Friday.
Scherzer will now start Sunday against the New York Yankees, while Bassitt goes Saturday.
The three-time Cy Young winner Scherzer exited his last start Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers with the injury, but later referred to it as a "minor issue."
"(It was the) upper scap. Before the game, I woke up normal, looking down at the scouting reports, and I looked up, and all of a sudden I could feel that my upper scap was tight," he said during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast Tuesday.
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Scherzer, 41, threw 67 pitches over four innings of work, allowing nine hits, four runs and two homers in what ended as a win for the Blue Jays over the Brewers. He didn't issue any walks and struck out one for the afternoon.
After signing a one-year deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season and dealing with a thumb issue throughout the summer, Scherzer has a 4.11 ERA over 70 innings of work with Toronto in 2025.
For Bassitt, the start will still come on regular rest after the Blue Jays' off-day Thursday. He last pitched Monday against the Cincinnati Reds when he allowed two earned runs over six innings.
Toronto's pivotal series against the Yankees begins Friday with live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
