Saturday in Toronto, there was such a sense of hope and excitement. Max Scherzer, the likely future Hall of Famer who looks like he still has something left in the tank, was making his Blue Jays debut.Three hours later, Scherzer was using phrases like "imminent danger" and "recipe for disaster" to describe his early exit with right lat soreness. Sunday morning, Scherzer was placed on the 15-day IL with right thumb inflammation, an issue that is directly tied to Scherzer's lat problem. The Blue Jays recalled left-hander Easton Lucas from Triple-A Buffalo to take Scherzer place on the active roster."I'm frustrated. I want to pitch. I know I can pitch," Scherzer said Saturday. "I know I can throw the ball really well. Unfortunately, I have an issue going on that's coming from the thumb. I've got to address this. I've got to zero out that thumb before I pitch again."Scherzer said that Saturday's problem was "100% related" to his recurring thumb problem, which is why that's the official designation for his IL stint <a href="https://www.shopteambluejays.com/124-Jose_Canseco_Jersey">Jose Canseco Jersey</a>. This has plagued Scherzer years now, the frustration only growing, and it's already crawled up his arm and shoulder to cause more serious issues in 2023 <a href="https://www.shopteambluejays.com/265-Daniel_Vogelbach_Jersey">Daniel Vogelbach Jersey</a>, 24 and now 25.The 40-year-old has struggled with grip strength and pain in that right thumb, so he's needed to compensate for it, which is when things get dangerous. Everything is connected, so even the smallest adjustment in effort, arm angle or the strain on his shoulder can lead to something far more serious. Manager John Schneider said that Scherzer came in feeling better than he expected Sunday morning, which leaves the team encouraged that they got Scherzer out at the right time, but there's no silver lining to be found in this weekend's news <a href="https://www.shopteambluejays.com/267-Ryan_Burr_Jersey">Ryan Burr Jersey</a>.The Blue Jays knew they were taking on a level of injury risk with Scherzer, but it's still March. This, on top of some early bullpen issues, are already cause for serious concern.Now, we know that Scherzer will miss at least two starts and likely more. He'll visit a hand specialist in the United States on Monday, but regardless of how this plays out, any length of shutdown for Scherzer will also require him to build back up. Multiple times, Scherzer has highlighted 50 pitches as the threshold at which he begins to run into problems.Now, the Blue Jays don't just need a spot starter, they need someone who can potentially take a rotation spot and run with it."It could be Easton Lucas. It could be Yariel Rodrguez sliding back into the rotation," Schneider said. "At this point in the year, he's pretty built up. I think that start is Friday we're looking at, so we'll see how we land today and the next couple games, then go from there."It feels like the Rodrguez decision needs to come first as he's the biggest variable involved here. Rodrguez made 21 starts for the Blue Jays last season but was bumped into a bullpen role by Scherzer's arrival. Will the Blue Jays stretch him back out, given that he already spent much of camp pitching as a starter, or will they prefer to avoid the back-and-forth with Rodrguez by keeping him in one role?"I think he's equipped to do either one," Schneider said. "It would be his first start , so we're not rushing him up to 100 pitches. We want it to be consistent. We're lucky to know that he can go back and forth. We'll see how that first turn goes through."Regardless of which way this breaks and bullpen usage in the coming days will play a major role it sounds like either Lucas or Rodrguez will start Friday in New York against the Mets <a href="https://www.shopteambluejays.com/125-Juan_Guzman_Jersey">Juan Guzman Jersey</a>. If the Blue Jays get the sense that this is a long-term issue for Scherzer that could stretch beyond a month, that's when No. 6 prospect Jake Bloss enters the picture.Bloss had a shaky start to camp, then turned the corner in a hurry. It sounds like the Blue Jays want to see Bloss continue that in Triple-A for the time being, but a hot start with the Buffalo Bisons could catapult him right into this conversation. Bloss is just 23 but rocketed through the Minor Leagues and made his MLB debut last season with the Astros before being traded to the Blue Jays in the Yusei Kikuchi deal.None of these are conversations the Blue Jays wanted to be having, though, especially before the calendar even flips to April.
