Blue Jays’ Future Hall Of Famer Sends Retirement Message After Injury Setback

Toronto Blue Jays’ Future Hall Of Famer Max Scherzer Offers Response On Retirement

Position players like Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk and George Springer have all been sidelined, as have pitchers Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Cody Ponce. And the latest injury setback for starter Max Scherzer is raising questions about how much longer his career can last.

At age 41 and with nearly 3,000 major-league innings on his arm, Max Scherzer has posted a 9.64 ERA in five starts for the Blue Jays so far this year, and he’s now wrestling with a thumb issue, forearm tendinitis and left foot inflammation.

As he tries to recover from those ailments and return to the mound for a Blue Jays team with plenty of injury problems, Scherzer offered a clear response on speculation that the combination of injuries is pushing him close to retirement.

“I wouldn’t necessarily look at it like that,” Scherzer said, per the Toronto Star’s Rosie DiManno. “I’m going to play. I’m going to do whatever it takes to play. I’ve signed up for this. I love this… There are too many times when I actually feel great (to end my career).”

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Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider Predicts How Max Scherzer Will ‘Call It A Career’

And with Scherzer, who is a lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame whenever he does end his three-time Cy Young Award career, steadfastly determined to recover from his injuries and return to the mound, Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated that nobody will be forcing the pitcher out of the game until he is ready.

“I think Max will drive that bus,” Schneider told DiManno when asked about the pitcher’s eventual retirement. “A guy who’s done what he’s done, he’ll know when it’s time to say, ‘All right, I’m going to call it a career.’”

And since Scherzer evidently doesn’t see now as that time, despite a harsh combination of injuries, it looks like his inevitable retirement will have to wait until after this season.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com