Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer was pulled after two innings and 36 pitches in Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His velocity was down during the outing, in which he allowed a two-run homer to Teoscar Hernández. Manager John Schneider informed the umpire of the decision before the top of the third.
Scherzer showed no obvious signs of distress on the mound in Toronto. He surrendered the two-run shot to Hernández early, contributing to concerns for a Blue Jays rotation already short on starters. Schneider walked to the field prior to the third inning to end his starter's night, with Josh Fleming entering in relief. Austin Voth had been designated for assignment that day to make room for Fleming on the roster. A flu bug has circulated through the Blue Jays clubhouse, potentially playing a role. Eric Lauer battled the illness over the weekend in Chicago and lasted just two innings in his start. The rotation faces significant challenges with four pitchers on the injured list: Trey Yesavage (right shoulder impingement), Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation), José Berríos (right elbow stress fracture) and Cody Ponce (right ACL sprain). This has placed extra strain on the bullpen, which covered substantial innings over the weekend. Lazaro Estrada delivered four scoreless frames Saturday before an option to Triple-A Buffalo, while Voth provided 2 2/3 innings Sunday. Further updates on Scherzer's status are expected.
