Max Scherzer is flying to Dallas to receive yet another cortisone injection, his third of the 2026 season.

Prior to Thursday’s series opener versus the Texas Rangers, manager John Schneider revealed that Scherzer is briefly leaving the team to undergo additional treatment on his back, which has been causing him discomfort on his left side for the past few weeks.

Scherzer — placed on the 15-day injured list with back spasms on June 17, retroactive to June 14 — plans to rejoin the team this weekend and hopes to map out his next steps afterwards, as Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling relayed.

The 41-year-old starter was a late scratch during last week’s projected start versus the Boston Red Sox. He’s completed a pair of bullpen sessions in Toronto this week, throwing his most recent one on Thursday, but will now be shut down for a few days before resuming his throwing progression.

It’s been a frustrating couple of months for Scherzer, who struggled over 3.1 innings in his lone start off the IL against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 10, allowing five runs on as many hits — including two home runs — and three hits over 82 pitches. Before then, he had spent almost two months on the shelf due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.

Since returning to the Blue Jays on a one-year, $3 million contract with incentives last winter, the future Hall-of-Fame hurler has only totalled six starts, pitching to an inflated 10.23 ERA and 8.78 FIP while issuing 11 walks and only 14 strikeouts across 22 innings. Overall, he’s been worth minus-0.7 fWAR thus far.

In Scherzer’s absence, Shane Bieber has assumed his vacated rotation spot and will be aiming to bounce back in his next start following Tuesday’s disappointing season debut, as the Houston Astros tagged him for four runs (all earned) on nine hits and zero walks, striking out just two batters in 3.2 innings.

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