Former Tigers trade acquisition returns to MLB after Blue Jays place Max Scherzer on IL

Former Detroit Tigers trade acquisition Chase Lee is headed back to the major leagues after the Toronto Blue Jays placed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer on the injured list Monday.

Toronto announced that Scherzer, 41, is headed to the IL with right forearm tendinitis and inflammation in his left ankle after a difficult start to the 2026 season. In the corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled Lee from Triple-A.

For Tigers fans, it’s another reminder of just how quickly careers — and bullpen depth charts — can change.

Lee, now 27, once looked like one of Detroit’s sneakier trade-deadline pickups. The Tigers acquired the right-hander from the Texas Rangers in July 2024 in exchange for veteran reliever Andrew Chafin, hoping Lee’s unusual delivery and deceptive fastball-slider combination could turn him into a long-term bullpen weapon.

For a while, it looked like they had found exactly that. After making his MLB debut on April 22, 2025, Lee stormed onto the scene with a dominant first stretch in the majors. Over his first 25 appearances, he went 4-0 with a sparkling 2.05 ERA across 30 2/3 innings, emerging as one of the more reliable arms in Detroit’s bullpen.

Then everything unraveled almost overnight. Lee endured three nightmare outings in July, allowing 10 runs and five home runs in only two innings of work.

With the Tigers aggressively adding bullpen help at the trade deadline while pushing toward contention, Lee became the odd man out and was optioned back to Triple-A Toledo. He never returned to Detroit’s roster before being traded to Toronto in December for minor-league pitcher Johan Simon.

Chase Lee returns to majors for the first time since flaming out of Tigers' bullpen

Now, Lee will get another chance in the majors under difficult circumstances for the Blue Jays.

Scherzer’s injury marks another frustrating chapter late in the career of one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. The former Tigers ace signed a one-year, $3 million deal with Toronto in spring training but struggled badly through five starts, posting a 9.64 ERA and allowing seven home runs in just 18 2/3 innings.

The decline has been jarring for a pitcher who once anchored Detroit’s legendary rotation alongside Justin Verlander, David Price and Rick Porcello. From 2010 through 2014, Scherzer went 82-35 with a 3.52 ERA for the Tigers, helping lead the franchise to four postseason appearances and the 2012 American League pennant.

Ironically, Scherzer’s injury may now open the door for a former Tigers reliever trying to reestablish himself at the big-league level.

For Lee, the opportunity arrives with plenty to prove — and perhaps a little extra motivation against the organization where his career first took off.

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