Max Scherzer has been in and out of action recently because of a recurring right thumb issue that has repeatedly sent him to the injured list and into rehab instead of the Blue Jays’ regular rotation.

Why is Max Scherzer not playing?

The core reason right now

  • Scherzer has been dealing with right thumb inflammation , which first flared up in his 2025 debut for the Toronto Blue Jays and forced him out after just three innings.
  • The thumb problem was serious enough that he was placed on the injured list (eventually the 60‑day IL), limiting him to only one early-season big league start while he focused on rest and treatment instead of pitching in the majors.

How the injury has affected his season

  • Because of the thumb, most of his 2025 work came in controlled settings like simulated games and minor‑league rehab starts rather than regular MLB outings.
  • Blue Jays manager John Schneider described his rehab appearances as closely watched and important steps, emphasizing that Scherzer needed to prove he could throw his full arsenal and recover normally before returning to the rotation.

Is he done, or coming back?

  • Reports from mid‑season 2025 indicated progress: Scherzer ramped up pitch counts (50+ pitches in sim games, then around 75 in rehab starts) and was described as “nearing a return” to the Blue Jays’ rotation.
  • Scherzer himself has been cautious, saying the thumb “could flare up at any time” and refusing to declare himself fully “out of the woods” until he could handle a normal big‑league workload and recovery cycle.

Bigger picture: age and wear

  • At 40–41 years old with a long history of heavy workloads, Scherzer has also dealt with back, shoulder, and arm issues in recent years, contributing to stretches where he either struggled or had to be shut down.
  • During 2025 he even considered retirement because of how persistent the thumb and other physical problems were, though his competitiveness and desire for another World Series run kept him pushing to come back.

Quick recap

  • He’s not playing primarily because of a lingering right thumb injury that put him on the IL.
  • Most of his recent appearances have been rehab or simulated outings, not regular MLB starts.
  • Age, past arm/back issues, and the risk of re‑aggravating the thumb all factor into the team being cautious with his usage.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.