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Max Scherzer gets loud ovation in Vancouver Canadians debut

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Jul 3 2026, 9:55 pm
Max Scherzer gets loud ovation in Vancouver Canadians debut
@vancanadians/Instagram

Vancouver Canadians fans packed into Nat Bailey Stadium to watch Max Scherzer pitch on Friday afternoon.

Scherzer is currently rehabbing from a back injury, which has held him out of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup since June 10. It was announced just days ago that he would be pitching for the Canadians as part of his rehab stint, and fans showed up in full force.

The stadium was sold out with 6,500 in attendance to watch the three-time Cy Young Award winner. While he was far from great, it wasn’t a disastrous outing, either. The 41-year-old threw 41 pitches through three innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits while striking out three.

To no surprise, Scherzer was greeted with a standing ovation when he first took the mound.

Scherzer is expected to make multiple rehab starts, though this is believed to be his only appearance with the Canadians. He is set to rejoin the Blue Jays in Seattle for their three-game series versus the Mariners, which begins on Friday night.

This latest start was a step in the right direction for Scherzer, who has been hampered by injuries all season long. He’s started just six games for the Jays this season, posting an ugly 10.23 ERA through 22 innings, giving up nine home runs over that span.

Once returning, Scherzer is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays’ rotation. That was up in the air for a brief period of time, though the demotion of Patrick Corbin to the bullpen seemingly reopened a spot for him.

Scherzer isn’t expected to return to the Jays lineup before the All-Star break, which will see all teams have a four-day break from July 13-16. Once that is over, he is expected to rejoin the Jays a short time later, assuming his rehab continues to progress.

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