All-star catcher Alejandro Kirk suffered a concussion and is off for seven days while we finally get to the bottom of what happened to Lauer’s lip.

However, the alleged assailant later spilled the beans, with Scherzer revealing the claim was just Lauer and fellow starter Chris Bassitt having some fun. “No, I did not punch Eric Lauer in the face,” Scherzer said with a laugh when asked about the incident by Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae.

The Blue Jays' hot streak continued in their series opener against the Tigers as Eric Lauer delivered another strong start for Toronto.

There is little to no chance that, despite his well-known intensity, Max Scherzer actually slugged Lauer for talking to him too early on a start day.

Did Max Scherzer really punch Blue Jays teammate Eric Lauer after Thursday's win over Detroit? Here's the truth.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blue Jays' Eric Lauer Joked About Reason for Pitching With a Fat Lip. Toronto Blue Jays lefthander Eric Lauer continued his breakout campaign, pitching eight innings of one-run ball to help power his club to an 11-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Eric Lauer, the 30-year-old left-hander and youngest member of the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation, showed up on Thursday ahead of a three-game series with

DETROIT -- After a day off, Riley Greene is back in the lineup as the Detroit Tigers open a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night. The Tigers (60-43), first place in the AL Central, and Blue Jays (60-42), first place in the AL East, meet at 6:40 p.m. at Comerica Park.

When Eric Lauer joined the Blue Jays on April 30, he was bullpen insurance for the week. Toronto was fresh off a doubleheader with 26 runs allowed in the previous three games.