Scherzer dealt with a thumb issue during spring training but was able to take his turn in the Opening Day rotation. He aggravated the injury in his Blue Jays debut and ultimately missed nearly three months. Despite lingering soreness, Scherzer finished the regular season with 17 starts covering 85 innings and added three postseason starts. His 5.19 ERA was the worst of his career, though ERA estimators suggested it was more than half a run too high. His strikeout and walk rates were largely unchanged from the prior season, but his 2.01 HR/9 marked a career high. As a fly ball pitcher, Scherzer is prone to home runs, but last season the issue was more pronounced than usual. He intends to pitch in his age-41 season, and while the strikeout and walk rates remain intact, durability concerns persist, and landing in a power-suppressing environment would be key to maintaining mixed league relevance. Read Past Outlooks