Latest news with #GregorChisholm
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Max Scherzer wants to be back with the Blue Jays. After Bisons rehab start, he's ‘not out of the woods'
BUFFALO, N.Y.—At the height of his major-league career, when Max Scherzer was accumulating accolades, championships and three Cy Young Awards, it seemed unfathomable for him to need a minor-league rehab stint. But on Friday, Scherzer, now with the Blue Jays organization and coming back from thumb inflammation, took the mound for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, marking the third year in four seasons that the 40-year old has needed work in the minors. After a disappointing start to his Jays career — a three-inning outing against Baltimore on March 29 — Scherzer was very effective, throwing 39 of his 56 pitches for strikes in 4 1/3 innings against the Columbus Clippers. He allowed four hits while striking out four. More importantly, he averaged about 92 miles per hour with his fastball, a pitch he used 23 times. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I'm not celebrating anything until I'm actually in big-league games and recovering from big-league games,' Scherzer said after his outing. 'This thumb issue is serious and I'm still not out of the woods.' Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays quick hits: Phillies' Suarez, two relievers combine on five-hit shutout The Jays didn't reach second base against Suarez until the seventh inning. He allowed a one-out double to Brayan Rocchio, a player with more than 200 games of major-league experience, in the first inning and a leadoff homer to C.J. Kayfus in the second. The most pitches he needed in any inning was a 22-pitch fourth, when he allowed two hits and a run. He fanned Kyle Datres on three pitches in the fifth, the final one an 84-m.p.h. changeup. He then gave way to reliever Kevin Gowdy and left to an enthusiastic ovation, saluting the fans before reaching the dugout. When he left, Scherzer had thrown six different types of pitches, including 15 sliders and eight changeups, helping the Bisons remain deadlocked 2-2. Buffalo scored three runs in the ninth inning to earn a 6-5 walk-off win. 'I got my work in,' Scherzer said. 'Tomorrow is a very important day to make sure my body is responding correctly. I feel like I did the right amount. We were looking for 60-65 pitches, and came up a little bit short, but feel like I'm in a position to be able to recover well.' He was quick to dismiss any comparisons to his March start. 'That was a lat issue,' he said. 'My thumb was barking and my lat was about to blow. I got out of there before something bad happened. My thumb's in a better spot, but I'm not going to celebrate this until I'm fully built up.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Alejandro Kirk's all-star worthy play is carrying the Blue Jays — and making the front office look good, too Kirk's standout performance has him on the cusp of his second all-star appearance and helps Scherzer also clarified that his pinpoint precision wasn't exactly back to normal yet. 'Even though I was throwing strikes, I wasn't getting to the exact spots I was trying to get to,' he said. 'Until you're actually in a real game and put the ball where you want to, it takes time and feel and a little rhythm. It'll come as I get more games under my belt.' Buffalo plays next week in Worcester against the Boston affiliate, but it's too soon to determine when exactly Scherzer will return to the mound He did admit he needs more action with the Bisons, declaring: 'I definitely need another one. We'll make that determination later. It'll be a collective decision, not just mine. 'I'm chomping at the bit. I'm dying here (on the injured list). I want to be out there competing, helping the ball club win. I've got to do my work here, do this process right and build up right.' For the Bisons, who drew a Scherzer-enhanced 11,614, it was the seventh time in the franchise's history that a past or future Cy Young Award winner has pitched for the club, following Canadian standout Fergie Jenkins, Dwight Gooden, Bartolo Colon, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, and R.A. Dickey. Only Gooden and Sabathia worked on rehab assignments.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer throws 56 pitches in Buffalo but says ‘I'm still not out of the woods'
BUFFALO, N.Y.—At the height of his major-league career, when Max Scherzer was accumulating accolades, championships and three Cy Young Awards, it seemed unfathomable for him to need a minor-league rehab stint. But on Friday, Scherzer, now with the Blue Jays organization and coming back from thumb inflammation, took the mound for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, marking the third year in four seasons that the 40-year old has needed work in the minors. After a disappointing start to his Jays career — a three-inning outing against Baltimore on March 29 — Scherzer was very effective, throwing 39 of his 56 pitches for strikes in 4 1/3 innings against the Columbus Clippers. He allowed four hits while striking out four. More importantly, he averaged about 92 miles per hour with his fastball, a pitch he used 23 times. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I'm not celebrating anything until I'm actually in big-league games and recovering from big-league games,' Scherzer said after his outing. 'This thumb issue is serious and I'm still not out of the woods.' Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays quick hits: Phillies' Suarez, two relievers combine on five-hit shutout The Jays didn't reach second base against Suarez until the seventh inning. He allowed a one-out double to Brayan Rocchio, a player with more than 200 games of major-league experience, in the first inning and a leadoff homer to C.J. Kayfus in the second. The most pitches he needed in any inning was a 22-pitch fourth, when he allowed two hits and a run. He fanned Kyle Datres on three pitches in the fifth, the final one an 84-m.p.h. changeup. He then gave way to reliever Kevin Gowdy and left to an enthusiastic ovation, saluting the fans before reaching the dugout. When he left, Scherzer had thrown six different types of pitches, including 15 sliders and eight changeups, helping the Bisons remain deadlocked 2-2. Buffalo scored three runs in the ninth inning to earn a 6-5 walk-off win. 'I got my work in,' Scherzer said. 'Tomorrow is a very important day to make sure my body is responding correctly. I feel like I did the right amount. We were looking for 60-65 pitches, and came up a little bit short, but feel like I'm in a position to be able to recover well.' He was quick to dismiss any comparisons to his March start. 'That was a lat issue,' he said. 'My thumb was barking and my lat was about to blow. I got out of there before something bad happened. My thumb's in a better spot, but I'm not going to celebrate this until I'm fully built up.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Alejandro Kirk's all-star worthy play is carrying the Blue Jays — and making the front office look good, too Kirk's standout performance has him on the cusp of his second all-star appearance and helps Scherzer also clarified that his pinpoint precision wasn't exactly back to normal yet. 'Even though I was throwing strikes, I wasn't getting to the exact spots I was trying to get to,' he said. 'Until you're actually in a real game and put the ball where you want to, it takes time and feel and a little rhythm. It'll come as I get more games under my belt.' Buffalo plays next week in Worcester against the Boston affiliate, but it's too soon to determine when exactly Scherzer will return to the mound He did admit he needs more action with the Bisons, declaring: 'I definitely need another one. We'll make that determination later. It'll be a collective decision, not just mine. 'I'm chomping at the bit. I'm dying here (on the injured list). I want to be out there competing, helping the ball club win. I've got to do my work here, do this process right and build up right.' For the Bisons, who drew a Scherzer-enhanced 11,614, it was the seventh time in the franchise's history that a past or future Cy Young Award winner has pitched for the club, following Canadian standout Fergie Jenkins, Dwight Gooden, Bartolo Colon, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, and R.A. Dickey. Only Gooden and Sabathia worked on rehab assignments.
Toronto Star
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Blue Jays quick hits: Angels rally in ninth inning to hand Hoffman first blown save with Toronto
The Blue Jays found a new way to lose Wednesday night, getting walked off 5-4 by the Los Angeles Angels for their fourth straight loss — the third one of which that has featured a blown save. Here's what you need to know: Jose Berrios and former Jay Yusei Kikuchi locked horns in a terrific pitchers' duel with each starter giving up only one run and pitching six innings. The Jays broke it open against the Halos' bullpen in the seventh, starting the inning with five straight hits including bunt singles by Andres Gimenez and Jonatan Clase. Bo Bichette's bases-loaded, two-run single made it 4-1 but they couldn't push across any more. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Jeff Hoffman came on to protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning but walked the nine-hitter on four pitches to begin the inning and gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out. A batter later, Jorge Soler ripped a slider down into the left-field corner for a walkoff three-run double. Bases: cleared Game: over Jorge Soler with a wild #walkoff for the @Angels! — MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2025 It was Hoffman's first blown save as a Blue Jay. Over his last two outings, the closer has retired only two of the nine batters he has faced. Fastballs Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Yusei Kikuchi showed last year why the Blue Jays were reluctant to lose him. It's been a different story so far this season Toronto will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip. Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Yusei Kikuchi showed last year why the Blue Jays were reluctant to lose him. It's been a different story so far this season Toronto will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip. Gimenez leaves game Along with another heartbreaking loss, the Jays may have lost their second baseman as well. Gimenez's bunt single helped spark the three-run seventh, but he limped into the bag after his right quadriceps muscle tightened up. The three-time Gold Glove winner stayed in the game and gingerly made the trip around the bases — 90 feet at a time — but did not come out for defence in the bottom of the inning. The Jays announced that he was removed as a precaution. Take your base, Vladdy Angels manager Ron Washington elected not to pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a big spot for the second straight game, intentionally walking the half-billion-dollar Blue Jay with a runner on second and two out in the third, preferring to take his chances with Anthony Santander. The strategy worked ... again. Santander stranded a pair with a fly out to centre field. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Until Santander gets going, this might be something Guerrero needs to get used to. After Wednesday's game, Guerrero's OPS was 187 points higher than that of Santander. Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays prospects to watch: the fast risers, those flying under the radar and some still figuring it out Even in a weak farm system such as Toronto's, there is bound to be some gold such as shortstop Arjun Nimmala and right-hander Trey Yesavage. Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays prospects to watch: the fast risers, those flying under the radar and some still figuring it out Even in a weak farm system such as Toronto's, there is bound to be some gold such as shortstop Arjun Nimmala and right-hander Trey Yesavage. Thanks, kid Berrios pitched in and out of trouble all night, but the Angels helped him out in the bottom of the first. With runners on the corners and nobody out, the right-hander struck out Taylor Ward and Soler, then had to deal with Logan O'Hoppe, who leads the team with an .868 OPS. With the count 1-and-2 on the Halos' DH, Berrios missed with a fastball but Nolan Schanuel was running on the pitch. Alejandro Kirk threw him out easily to end the inning. Mailbag Joe Martin found me @wilnerness on Bluesky to ask if it's 'time to move Bo out of the leadoff spot until he starts hitting? Maybe put Springer back there?' Bichette definitely isn't off to a fantastic start, Joe, but he's hitting .277 and is in the top 10 in the majors with 43 hits this season. Maybe we expect so much of a healthy Bo in his walk year that it feels like he hasn't started hitting yet, but he's been one of the Jays' only productive hitters so far this season. The power hasn't come yet, and he's never going to walk a ton, but Bichette definitely isn't the problem.
