The Toronto Blue Jays currently seem to be spiraling down. The main reason, undoubtedly, is the mounting number of injuries plaguing their lineup. May 31—Golden Glove winner Daulton Varsho was out with a left hamstring strain after hitting a third-inning double. Just a day before, Anthony Santander was also placed on the injury list, owing to an inflammation in his left hip and shoulder. But that was not it!
Two of Toronto’s center fielders, Myles Straw and Jonatan Clase, got injured while playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Clase, after getting hit by Brandon Pfaadt on his knee in the bottom of the fourth inning, got replaced by Myles Straw. But unfortunately, Straw too ended with an injury in his ankle.
However, the fans can breathe a sigh of relief. “The #BlueJays are giving Myles Straw (ankle) another day and John Schneider doesn’t think he’ll need the IL, but we’ll see. Sounds like Jonatan Clase is doing OK, too,” Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson reported on X.
The Jays manager John Schneider himself also provided the update, saying, “Both doing okay. No ILs needed for either. Plus A probably, a little bit further on the Myles; just gonna give Myles another day or so and we need Clase everywhere we go.”
The #BlueJays are giving Myles Straw (ankle) another day and John Schneider doesn’t think he’ll need the IL, but we’ll see. Sounds like Jonatan Clase is doing OK, too.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 18, 2025
“I think, see, tomorrow is kind of – he is, I said it before, he’s never been on the IL, doesn’t wanna go on the IL and um, I think right now we don’t think he does. So, kind of just take it, you know, the next 24-48 hours,” Schneider further added.
So, both these players are currently active. Clase will be off the bench, while Straw may need another day, although he will not be on the injured list. Now, this surely comes as a relief for the Toronto Blue Jays, given that Anthony Santander and Daulton Varsho are yet to make a return from the injured list.
While Straw has managed to slash .264/.294/.339 along with one home run and 14 RBIs across the 59 games so far, Clase has slashed .205/.279/.282 with only one homer and 6 RBIs in his 25 appearances this season.
Ever since Varsho got injured, Toronto’s center defense has been handled by Straw, Nathan Lukes and George Springer. While it’s good news that Straw has not been placed on the IL, the Blue Jays also need the services of their ace pitcher, Max Scherzer, who is down with a right-thumb injury.
Scherzer managed to pitch only three innings at the beginning of this season. But now with him going quite strong with the Triple-A Buffalo, where he has thrown 75 pitches, striking out eight batters, his comeback might be quicker than expected.
John Schneider believes that Scherzer is doing everything that needs to be done. “He thinks he can strike everybody out right now. Whether it’s seven in the morning or seven at night, he’s going to go after you.” Well, he probably can!
What will Max Scherzer’s return mean for the Toronto Blue Jays?
Ever since his return to the minor league, Max Scherzer has been doing great. In the 75 pitches that he has thrown over 4.1 innings, he hasn’t allowed a single run. More importantly, his performance on Wednesday night was better than the last one.
Being one of the best Blue Jays’ pitchers—we are not saying that; the stats speak for themselves—Scherzer’s return will be a massive boost for the team. Although he pitched only three innings before the injury, the 40-year-old has got fantastic career numbers. He has gone 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA and 467 G, recorded 3408 strikeouts at 2881.0 IP and a 1.08 WHIP.
His heroics in the minor league are being closely monitored by manager John Schneider, who reckons the veteran pitcher has managed to “come out of it feeling how he expected to.”
Although he is doing great in the minors at the moment, Scherzer’s comeback will depend on how his body responds going forward. But with his unwavering dedication, it will probably be sooner than expected. What do you think?
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