The Associated Press Max Scherzer threw 27 pitches off the mound Friday and Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said it was a step in the right direction as the right-hander recovers from a troublesome thumb.

Scherzer threw off the mound a week after getting a second cortisone shot in his thumb and throwing off flat ground earlier this week in Houston.

“It wasn’t max effort by any means, but he threw all of his pitches,” Schneider said before the Blue Jays opened a threegame series against the Yankees.

“He spun a few breaking balls in there and I think just a good step in the right direction.”

Scherzer was placed on the 15-day injured list because of thumb inflammation on March 30 and had a cortisone injection the following day.

The 40-year-old Scherzer exited his debut start with the Blue Jays against Baltimore on March 29 after three innings because of soreness in his right lat muscle.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed a homer to Colton Cowser on his second pitch of the game and another homer to Jordan Westburg in the first inning of his debut.

Scherzer said afterward his thumb issue was to blame for that soreness.

Earlier in March, Scherzer had a spring training start pushed back because of thumb pain.

Scherzer signed a $15.5 million, one-year contract with the Blue Jays in February. He went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in nine starts for Texas last season.

Two games postponed: The series opener between the Red Sox and Guardians was postponed by rain on Friday in Cleveland, setting up a day-night doubleheader between the clubs today.

The opener will be Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s 1,000th career game with the franchise.

The Orioles and Tigers also will have to wait a day to begin their series in Detroit. The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader today.