Max Scherzer to Start on Monday
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (thumb, back) will be activated off the Injured List on Monday. Scherzer will return to the mound to face his former team, the Washington Nationals. The right-hander has been out since the middle of June due to back and thumb issues. He pitched well during his most recent outing with Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays are hopeful for better results than they got from the 41-year-old earlier in the season. Through six starts, Scherzer owns a 10.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and a 14/11 K/BB ratio across 22 innings of work. Maybe there is some deep league value here, but Scherzer can be left on the waiver wire in most fantasy formats right now.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Dylan Cease Continues All-Star Season With Complete-Game Shutout
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease had a phenomenal outing on Saturday night in the team's 6-0 shutout win over the division-rival Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, as he threw a complete-game shutout with just one hit allowed, three walks, and 12 strikeouts to pick up his seventh victory of the year and lower his season ERA to 2.46. It was Cease's third career complete game, and it took him 120 pitches to finish the masterful outing. It's been an amazing season for Cease in his first year in Toronto, and he has unbelievably allowed just one hit in two of his last three starts. He is chugging right along with four straight quality starts in July, and he now has a 1.09 WHIP with a league-high 167 strikeouts and 48 walks in 113 1/3 innings on the season. Cease joined only Nolan Ryan as the second pitcher to allow no more than one hit while pitching at least eight innings and striking out at least 10 in back-to-back road starts. He'll obviously be a must-start in his next scheduled outing next week against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Max Scherzer Throws Bullpen Session on Sunday
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back, thumb) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Sunday. Scherzer recently had a rehab assignment paused last week. He received three cortisone injections in his right thumb, but is back to throwing the ball fairly quickly. He landed on the Injured List in mid-June due to back spasms. He suffered an injured thumb while rehabbing, but is hopeful to get back on the mound soon. The hope is that Scherzer can rejoin the Jays' starting rotation at some point in August. When healthy, Scherzer has been awful with a 10.23 ERA across six starts this season. Fantasy managers shouldn't wait around and hope the 41-year-old still has something left in the tank.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Max Scherzer has Rehab Stint Paused
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back, thumb) was recently pulled off his rehab assignment. The veteran right-hander recently received three cortisone injections in his injured thumb during the All-Star break. Scherzer was rehabbing the back injury that landed him on the Injured List last month. He re-injured his hand during his most recent rehab start on Wednesday. Scherzer is aiming to throw the ball this weekend. If that goes well, Scherzer should resume his rehab assignment shortly. It doesn't sound like Scherzer is nearing a return to the Jays' rotation anytime soon. The 41-year-old got smacked around to the tune of a 10.23 ERA when he was healthy this season. Fantasy managers in all formats are better off looking for a replacement at this point.
Source: Arden Zwelling
Source: Arden Zwelling
Dylan Cease Is Back in the Fantasy Ace Tier
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease went into the break with a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and an AL-best 148 strikeouts in 98 1/3 innings. He followed that by striking out three in a scoreless first inning as the American League starter on July 14. The 4.55 ERA from 2025 is getting harder to recognize. Cease has pushed his strikeout rate to a career-high 36.9%, and hitters have managed a .264 xwOBA with a 33% hard-hit rate against him. The walks have not disappeared. His 11% rate is actually up from last year, and rest-of-season projections land closer to the low-3.00s than his current ERA. That is the risk. The rest looks ace-level, including a changeup that has jumped from barely 1% usage in 2025 to 11.5% this season. Cease is not someone to move just because the first-half price is high. Hold him and keep collecting strikeouts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Trey Yesavage a Sell Candidate Going into the Second Half?
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage made it to the big leagues quickly after Toronto took him with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft out of East Carolina University. The 22-year-old made it up to the majors for three regular-season starts before he became a dominant arm during the Blue Jays' run to the World Series last fall. Toronto is being cautious with the young right-hander's workload -- he made just 14 starts and threw 75 innings in the first half -- and he went 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 69 strikeouts and 39 walks. Yesavage limped into this week's All-Star break, posting a 5.21 ERA (5.73 FIP) with seven home runs allowed, 30 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 38 innings over seven starts. In his final start before the break, he gave up four earned runs with seven walks and just one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the San Diego Padres. Yesavage has plenty of long-term upside, but his lack of control (12.5% walk rate) coupled with a lowered strikeout rate (22.2%) should have fantasy managers concerned. It wouldn't hurt to gauge your league's interest in Yesavage at the trade deadline.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Dylan Cease Named American League Starter for All-Star Game
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease will get the nod as the American League starting pitcher during the upcoming All-Star Game in Philadelphia. This is a well-deserved honor for Cease, who has been outstanding during his first season with the Blue Jays. The right-hander owns a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 148/44 K/BB ratio across 17 starts this season. This will be the first All-Star game of his eight-year career. The Blue Jays currently sit in the cellar of the AL East as we head into the All-Star break. That is no fault of Cease, who has been electric to begin his Blue Jays career.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Blue Jays Promote Pitching Prospect CJ Van Eyk for MLB Debut
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher CJ Van Eyk has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. The Jays are looking for reinforcements and believe Van Eyk is ready to make an impact. The 27-year-old owns a 3.79 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 56/23 K/BB ratio across 17 games (13 starts) with Triple-A Buffalo this season. He doesn't have a ton of swing-and-miss stuff, but the Jays are just looking for healthy and refreshed bodies at the moment. In a corresponding move, right-hander Chad Dallas has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Van Eyk has mostly pitched in a starting role, but could operate in a bullpen role in Toronto.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Max Scherzer Shows Encouraging Signs in Rehab Start
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) wasn't perfect in his latest minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Buffalo, but he showed some encouraging signs. Scherzer allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out five in four innings to take the loss against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer generated 16 swings and misses on his 72 pitches and averaged 93.4 mph with his four-seam fastball. He is slowly building his arm back after landing on the 15-day injured list for the second time this season with back spasms, but he's likely going to need at least one more rehab start before he's an option once again for Toronto's starting rotation in the second half of the season. The three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star is well beyond his prime and doesn't have much left in the tank as he continues to deal with injuries. Scherzer has gone 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and 14:11 K:BB in his six starts for the Jays this year. Fantasy managers are better off stashing higher-upside arms.
Source: Milb.com
Source: Milb.com
Dylan Cease Continues Excellent Season, Takes No-Hitter into the Ninth
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease nearly had the second no-hitter of his career in Wednesday night's 10-0 shutout victory over the hosting San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Cease was marvelous, allowing just one hit and no runs while walking three and striking out 11 to win his sixth game of the year and lower his ERA to 2.56. The 30-year-old took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but outfielder Heliot Ramos led off the frame with a single to break it up. Cease threw 81 of his 118 pitches for strikes and recorded his sixth game of the 2026 season with double-digit strikeouts. In addition to his strong 2.56 ERA, Cease also has a 1.13 WHIP and American League-leading 148 strikeouts in 98 1/3 innings in his first year in Toronto. The former sixth-rounder of the Chicago Cubs in 2014 now has back-to-back shutouts going into the All-Star break after tossing seven shutout frames with a walk and nine strikeouts his last time out against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. Cease is certainly in play to start the All-Star Game next week for the AL.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kevin Gausman Sees Struggles Continue on Monday, Time to Drop in All Leagues?
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman did not have a strong return to San Francisco on Monday night, allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks through 5 1/3 innings. Gausman did still have eight strikeouts, but he has lost four straight starts to fall to 4-8 on the year. Over his last seven starts, he is 0-5 with a 6.41 ERA and 5.36 FIP. His strikeout numbers are still solid, so there is some hope he turns it around later in the year. If you're in a deep league and can hold him on your bench, there is still potential upside, but for now, it's time to move on from Gausman in all standard-sized mixed leagues. The waiver wire has much better short-term and long-term options in most formats.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Max Scherzer to Make a Rehab Start at Triple-A on Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) will make another minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. In his first rehab start for High-A Vancouver last Friday, Scherzer threw 49 pitches and allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in three innings of work. The future Hall of Famer could need one more rehab game in the minors after Wednesday's start, meaning he will not be an option for the Jays' starting rotation before next week's All-Star break. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star is on the injured list again this year due to back spasms after already missing extensive time with a forearm injury and other ailments. Scherzer continues to struggle to stay healthy, and he's no longer his dominant self when healthy, going 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA and 1.73 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 innings in his six starts so far in 2026 for the Blue Jays. Fantasy managers have plenty of better upside arms to choose from off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Shane Bieber Struggling of Late, Still Worth a Roster Spot?
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber got hammered on Saturday against the Mariners, allowing six hits, seven earned runs, three walks, and only three strikeouts in four innings pitched. Through three starts now since returning from injury, he has a 9.00 ERA, 2.08 WHIP, and a 9:7 K:BB ratio in 13 innings pitched. To put it nicely, nothing has worked for him, and nothing looks great, with his fastball velocity down (92.0 mph), but most importantly, his control has been awful (10.9 percent), which has also led to a ton of hard contact (54.2 percent hard-hit rate). Even when Bieber was at his best, it wasn't his velocity that got him through; it was his control and off-speed that made him good. Bieber has a 3.32 career ERA and 1.12 WHIP; however, he is now 31 years old, and nothing under the hood or on the surface suggests he is anything more than a streamer at this point. His next time out will be on Friday against the San Diego Padres, where he will try to right the ship on the season before the All-Star Break. Fantasy managers who are desperate for pitching in points leagues or 15-team leagues can hold on, but Bieber is unstartable at this time.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Max Scherzer Goes Three Innings in First Rehab Start
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) began his road back from yet another injury with a minor-league rehab start on Friday for High-A Vancouver. Scherzer was able to get up to three innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three. It was the future Hall of Famer's first game since June 10, and he reportedly felt good after throwing 33 of his 49 pitches for strikes. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner is recovering from back spasms, but he also missed extended time this year due to forearm tendinitis and other nagging issues. The Blue Jays aren't going to rush him back, and Scherzer is expected to need at least two more rehab starts before Toronto considers reinstating him from the 15-day injured list. The once-dominant right-hander continues to battle injuries near the end of his fantastic career and has only made six starts in 2026, going 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in 22 innings. Scherzer is only rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues. Fantasy managers should continue to ignore him.
Source: Milb.com
Source: Milb.com
Max Scherzer to Make a Rehab Start on Friday
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) said he's traveling with the team out west and will make a minor-league rehab start on Friday with High-A Vancouver, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Scherzer will rejoin the team in Seattle on Saturday, throw a side session on Sunday, and determine his next steps from there. The Blue Jays have already said that the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer will require multiple rehab starts, so Scherzer won't be an option to rejoin Toronto's starting rotation next week, and he most likely won't be a realistic option to come off the 15-day injured list until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The three-time Cy Young winner has once again had an injury-plagued season with the Jays. He's been out since mid-June due to back spasms on the left side of his back, and before that, he had a lengthy stay on the IL with forearm tendinitis. Scherzer has only been able to make six starts in 2026 and has gone 1-4 with a rough 10.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 14 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 22 innings. Fantasy managers should continue to ignore the fading star.
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
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