Scherzer’s return on Wednesday proved it’s the right step to fix the rotation

The following piece is a submission to write for FanSided's Jays Journal Max Scherzer’s return to the mound comes at the best time possible.

The two-time World Series champion made his second start as a member of the Blue Jays against the Guardians in Cleveland on Wednesday night. It was his first since he was placed on the injured list back in March with right thumb inflammation. His outing was proof that Toronto needed to fill that fifth rotation spot sooner rather than later.

The veteran threw four strikeouts, allowed three earned runs in five innings on 83 pitches, and left with a no-decision. While it may not have been the most terrific outing by a Blue Jays starting pitcher this season, it’s the length of time he pitched that proves to be the most valuable.

In his absence, the Blue Jays went with four different pitchers to take Scherzer’s spot, including bullpen days. The most significant area of concern, for example, starts with Bowden Francis.

In his 14 starts, Francis went longer than five innings on six different occasions. The struggle to have deep appearances resulted in an overworked bullpen that may have contributed to the likes of Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin (who has returned) hitting the IL.

Another example would be Easton Lucas. Once a promising replacement for Scherzer during his absence, Lucas’s three dominant starts on the mound quickly became an afterthought. The young pitcher had a disastrous outing against the Seattle Mariners on April 20, only lasting 1.2 innings.

At the end of the day, Scherzer is still a pitcher you want to have in your rotation, no matter where his spot is amongst the starters. Taking a one-year gamble on a legendary pitcher in his twilight years is still a move most teams will make. There is no doubt that having a pitcher like Scherzer, no matter the performance, is still an asset to have for a bullpen like Toronto’s, which tends to be overworked.

Make no mistake about it: the starting rotation is bolstered yet again with the return of Max Scherzer.