Max Scherzer, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, was honored by former teammates and fans of the Washington Nationals during his first start against them since leaving the franchise. Scherzer received two standing ovations from Nationals fans, first as he took the mound and again as he exited the game.
Scherzer, a 19-year MLB veteran who played for the Nationals from 2015 to 2021, returned the sentiment with a salute to the crowd. He pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out four batters. Despite facing trouble in the first inning with the bases loaded and one out, he managed to escape without allowing any runs.
During his tenure with the Nationals, Scherzer won two National League Cy Young Awards (2016, 2017) and was a key player in the team's 2019 World Series championship. He accumulated 2,692 strikeouts during his time in Washington.
This appearance marked Scherzer's second return from the injured list this season. He had previously been sidelined from April 24 to June 10 with a combination of right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. Before his return to the mound, Scherzer had struggled this season when healthy, pitching to a 10.23 ERA in 22 innings pitched and recording a career-high WHIP of 1.73.
Scherzer's four strikeouts on Tuesday brought him within eight of Walter Johnson's 3,515 career strikeouts, placing him 10th on MLB's all-time strikeout list. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2021 deadline along with Trea Turner and later played for the New York Mets before joining the Blue Jays.