Blue Jays place Scherzer on 10-day injured list with back spasms

The Toronto Blue Jays placed three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with back spasms. The move came hours before Scherzer was scheduled to start against the Boston Red Sox. Toronto will use reliever Braydon Fisher as an opener against Boston instead.

Scherzer, who turns 42 next month, spent more than six weeks on the injured list this season with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. He returned last week and became the 11th pitcher in major league history to reach 3,500 career strikeouts when he fanned Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber.

The moment proved to be the highlight as Scherzer was pulled after giving up five runs in 3⅓ innings in what became a 7-4 loss to the Phillies.

Scherzer, who signed a $3 million, one-year deal to return to Toronto in the offseason, is 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA in six starts with the Blue Jays in 2026.