Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Seattle Mariners.
Scherzer was activated after being left off the roster for the Division Series against the New York Yankees and is slated to make his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance. The 41-year-old right-hander is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series opener, and went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.
Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season and that he is in a better spot physically than a month ago. Opting to use the eight-time All-Star as a starter stemmed from wanting to keep Scherzer’s routine consistent.
“I’ve talked about him preparing all year,” Schneider said Tuesday, a day before the matchup resumes with Toronto trying to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. “So I think keeping things normal for him. Going back to you want to see normalcy. So you trust that he’s going to be prepared and go out and give everything he has and hopefully rise to the occasion of a big moment. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. So you feel good about handing him the ball and watching him go to work.”
An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract. He didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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