Max Scherzer’s path back to the Toronto Blue Jays rotation continued with triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
And while the three-time Cy Young winner’s outing got off to a rough start, he settled in to work four innings of five-run ball for the Bisons against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Scherzer tossed 72 pitches — 49 for strikes — on the evening, allowing five earned runs, six hits and no walks while striking out five.
The 41-year-old averaged 93.4 m.p.h. with his fastball and mixed in his slider, changeup and curveball.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pushed across four runs in the first inning against the future Hall of Famer. Three of its first four hitters reached on singles, loading the bases, before Oswaldo Cabrera scored on a sacrifice fly to the warning track.
Tyler Hardman then delivered the big blow, launching a two-out, three-run homer over the wall in centre field to grow the early lead.
The RailRiders scored again in the second, when Duke Ellis led off with a single, then stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and came across the plate on another sac fly.
Scherzer dialled in from there, however, retiring six of the seven batters he faced in the third and fourth innings — three of those on swinging strikeouts.
The veteran righty began his rehab assignment on Friday with the high-A Vancouver Canadians, throwing 49 pitches (33 strikes) across three innings. He allowed three hits and two earned runs, striking out three batters and walking a pair.
He last pitched for Toronto on June 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies before hitting the injured list later that week with back spasms.
Various ailments have limited Scherzer to just six starts and 22 innings with the Blue Jays this season, in which he owns a 10.23 ERA, 14 strikeouts and 11 walks.
He was also sidelined from April 24 to June 10 due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.