The season didn’t exactly start as planned for Max Scherzer.

Scherzer has been dealing with a thumb injury for quite some time and left his first start after just 45 pitches due to right lat soreness. He was placed on the 15-day injured list and will see a hand specialist in the United States.

“This is 100 percent related to the thumb,” Scherzer told reporters. “My shoulder — everything is compensating because of the thumb. The thumb is slightly better, but I still have discomfort in there. Even though I was kind of able to grip the ball a little bit better today, I still have discomfort in my thumb, and my whole arm is making adjustments because of that. That’s just a recipe for disaster.”

As a result, the Blue Jays have a hole in their rotation for the foreseeable future. They should be looking to sign Spencer Turnbull to fill his spot.

Turnbull spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and recorded a 2.65 ERA in 17 appearances (seven starts). The 32-year-old was primarily a starting pitcher before being moved to the bullpen last season.

The Blue Jays, though, are in a tough spot. While it would take some time, they could stretch out Turnbull and deploy him in the rotation once again. He would fill the No. 5 spot in the rotation and be a serviceable pitcher every five days.

Turnbull’s current market value is a two-year deal worth $8.8 million to $4.4 million per year. With the season already underway, he would likely sign a one-year contract for less than the projected $4.4 million. The Blue Jays could probably get him for as little as $2.5 million this year.

One thing for certain is they need to make a move sooner rather than later if they expect to contend this season.

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