For the second straight day, the Toronto Blue Jays got just two innings from their starting pitcher.
Max Scherzer was removed from Monday’s contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top of the third inning, with left-hander Josh Fleming entering in relief.
The 41-year-old tossed just 36 pitches — 24 strikes — while allowing two hits, two runs and one walk while striking out two.
It is unclear why Scherzer was pulled early, but Sportsnet’s broadcast caught the veteran righty saying to the Blue Jays dugout, “I’m OK,” during his first inning of work.
Scherzer’s velocity was notably down throughout the appearance, with his fastball averaging 92.1 m.ph. — down more than a full tick from his first outing of 2026.
In Sunday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox, Eric Lauer was removed early as he battled an illness.
The Blue Jays have battled significant attrition in their rotation to begin the 2026 season. Each of Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, José BerrÃos, Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis is currently on the injured list.