The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to win the series in Cleveland later tonight and will be turning to a veteran arm to get the job done.

Right-hander Max Scherzer is slated to return from the IL tonight to start against the Guardians, helping shore up a Jays bullpen that has struggled to find consistency since he went down back in early March.

Scherzer left his Blue Jays debut after three innings during the Opening weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles due to a thumb issue, a problem that had bothered the future Hall of Famer earlier that spring. Since then, Scherzer has been working his way back to being fully healthy, and after two rehab appearences in Buffalo, he is ready to go for the back half of the Jays season. In his last start in Buffalo, Scherzer was lifted after 75 pitches, so, presumably, his threshold today against Cleveland will range in that same area, pitch count-wise.

Opposite Scherzer this evening will be right-hander Gavin Williams, a former first-round selection of the Guardians back in 2021.

Williams will be making his 16th start of the year, tying a career high he has set in the two previous campaigns. A mid-summer debut in 2023 and an elbow injury last season limited him in those years, and this time around, Williams is looking to improve upon his rookie and sophomore seasons with a strong start against Toronto.  This season, Williams owns a 3.58 ERA and a 4.49 FIP through 75 1/3 innings while striking out batters at a tidy 9.3 K/9 clip.

The free passes have been the biggest issue for the Guardians’ rotation arm this season, as his 5.0 BB/9 mark is an elevated number. He’s also struggled to get any run support from the Cleveland lineup as of late. Williams has allowed just 12 earned runs through his last seven outings, posting a 2.82 ERA, but the Guardians have won just two of those contests, putting up five or fewer runs of their own in support. Possessing a five-pitch mix, Williams leans heavily on his mid to high 90s fastball (42.7%) and mixes in a sweeper, curveball, and cutter to round out the arsenal. He will also throw a sinker on occasion, but at a very low percentage rate (could be the four-seam fastball to some degree, but statcast has the sinker at a 1.6%).

To make room for Scherzer on the 40-man roster, Spencer Turnbull was designated for assignment.

Location: Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio

First Pitch: 6:40 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 0-0 record, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 1 SO, 0 BB

Cleveland Guardians – Gavin Williams: 5-3 record, 3.58 ERA, 75 1/3 IP, 78 SO, 42 BB