The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Max Scherzer has been placed on the 15-day injured list with back spasms, retroactive to June 14th. Fellow righty Chad Dallas has been recalled in a corresponding move.

It’s been a challenging season for the 41-year-old. He spent about six weeks on the IL from late April to early June, due to both right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. He came off the IL and made one start. He was scheduled to make another tonight but now this back issue has sent him to the IL once more.

Around the injuries, the results have been suboptimal, to put it politely. The future Hall-of-Famer has made six starts but logged only 22 innings, allowing 25 earned runs in the process. His 10.8% walk rate in that time is above average and on pace to be the worst of his career, while his 13.7% strikeout rate is well shy of average and also a career worst.

It’s unclear how serious this issue is but presumably isn’t major. As he takes some time to try to get his body in a good spot, the Jays will have to proceed with an injury issue in the rotation yet again. They have been spinning plates with their starting group all season long. As mentioned, this is Scherzer’s second IL stint. Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage have also spent some time on the IL. José Berríos, Bowden Francis and Cody Ponce are done for the year.

Due to all those absences, the Jays have been running frequent bullpen games. They seemed to get to a healthy five-man group last week when both Cease and Scherzer came off the IL to join Kevin Gausman, Patrick Corbin and Yesavage. Now they are short-handed once again. Reliever Braydon Fisher will start tonight’s game as an opener, per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Dallas could pick up multiple innings in a bulk role, though Simeon Woods Richardson and Spencer Miles would also be possibilities.

It’s possible a more permanent solution is ready to go. Shane Bieber has been on a rehab assignment lately, having been on the IL all year so far due to elbow inflammation. He made his fifth rehab start this afternoon for Triple-A Buffalo, throwing 80 pitches over five innings. The results weren’t great, as he allowed four walks and five earned runs, but the Jays may plug him into the big league rotation next time through as long as he responds well in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Sousa, Imagn Images