Overview
- Scherzer made his second rehab start for Triple‑A Buffalo on Wednesday night and allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits over four innings while striking out five and topping out at 94.4 mph.
- He began the current build with a High‑A Vancouver outing last week in which he threw three innings and allowed two earned runs.
- Toronto hopes Scherzer needs only one more rehab appearance, likely during the All‑Star break, and will judge any return by his health and by whether he can show clear performance gains over his 10.23 ERA this season.
- A successful return would likely put Scherzer back in the rotation and let Spencer Miles move into a multi‑inning relief role, while continued struggles could open the door for Miles to keep a larger role.
- Scherzer, a 41‑year‑old future Hall of Famer with 3,503 career strikeouts, is close to Walter Johnson’s 3,515 mark but any talk about this being his final season is speculative and not confirmed by the player or club.