The Toronto Blue Jays have anxiously awaited the return of pitcher Max Scherzer for quite some time. It now appears the wait for Scherzer is close to over. The Blue Jays plan to use Scherzer as quickly as possible to help fill a gap in their rotation, per MLB.com.

Toronto doesn't want to tire out their veteran, so he is expected to be on a pitch count of around 75 pitches per start.

“I’m really looking forward to him getting really mad at me when I take him out in a regular-season game,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s ready to do that in the big leagues. Whenever the time comes, it will probably be more than 75 pitches. He’s always told me that he’s very, very honest before each start about what he’s capable of based on how he’s feeling. If it’s 75 pitches in the big leagues, he’s ready to go.”

The club has seen some of its other pitchers go down, including Bowden Francis. Francis is dealing with a shoulder problem. Scherzer, meanwhile, has been off the Blue Jays roster for months due to a thumb problem.

The thumb is on the mend, though, as Scherzer could find himself back on the mound before July.

Blue Jays are fighting for the AL East crown

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Blue Jays fans are more than excited to see Scherzer back pitching for the team. The veteran has been working with Triple-A Buffalo, and getting his feet back under him.

Scherzer signed a one-year deal with Toronto before this season, but has made just one start for the club. Toronto's manager admits it has been difficult to work without the veteran.

“The hardest part is holding guys out certain days before to cover innings you may need,” manager John Schneider said. “We’re really just trying to find the sweet spot of pitches and spots to bring guys in based on the score. We’ve done a good job of scoring in those games, and scoring gives the leash a little more length with each guy, but it’s the days before and after that get a little tricky.”

Toronto finds themselves just a few games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. That's quite remarkable considering they have been without their ace for nearly the entire season.

The Blue Jays enter Saturday with a 40-35 record. Toronto plays the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.