FORT MYERS, Fla. – Starting a Grapefruit League game offers competitive elements that more convenient minor-league outings cannot, so Max Scherzer made the 2½-hour trek from Dunedin to Fort Myers for an important tune-up versus the Minnesota Twins.

The 41-year-old right-hander made the most of a long Friday during his third game of the spring with five shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks with three strikeouts in a 2-1 Blue Jays win. More importantly, he pushed up to 72 pitches, sat at 93.4 m.p.h. with a fastball that topped out at 95.8, executed his slider and changeup and “did everything I need to do to get ready for the season.”

“There's just an extra-level gear when you're in a big-league spring training game versus minor leagues,” said Scherzer, who will look to throw roughly six innings and 90 pitches in a minor-league game next before his first outing of the regular season. “The minor leaguers, they're going to be up there swinging at every first pitch and it's just a different game. It's one thing to do it one time, it's another thing to do it twice before the regular season. I just know I needed to face big-leaguers.”

Returning to the Lee Health Sports Complex 363 days after also making his final spring start here last season offered an interesting contrast in then-versus-now for Scherzer.

A year ago, that outing versus the Twins – he threw 62 pitches, 47 strikes, topping out at 94.7 m.p.h. with a fastball that sat 93.3 during four shutout innings – was a crucial test for his troublesome right thumb. 

That was enough for Scherzer to break with the Blue Jays at the end of camp, but he lasted only three innings in his first start of the season before hitting the injured list and didn’t return until........

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