Max Scherzer has dominated since returning from Triple-A

When the Tigers demoted Max Scherzer to Triple-A in mid-May he was 1-4 with an ugly 7.29 ERA, but since returning following a two-week stint in Toledo he’s been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Scherzer tossed eight innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays last night, improving to 9-5 with a 2.20 ERA, .215 opponents’ batting average, and 116 strikeouts in 111 innings since rejoining the rotation. Including his rough early outings Scherzer has a 3.60 ERA, .247 opponents’ batting average, and 142/59 K/BB ratio in 153 innings overall this season. He’s one of just a dozen American League starters with an average fastball above 93 miles per hour and has the eighth-best strikeout rate in the league at 8.4 whiffs per nine innings. An overpowering fastball combined with a mid-80s slider and quality changeup give Scherzer the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter long term and the 25-year-old right-hander has emerged as one of the biggest bright spots in a disappointing season for the Tigers.