Kevin Gausman (4-7, 4.19 ERA) gets the ball for Toronto opposite Landen Roupp (5-8, 4.55 ERA) for San Francisco in a Monday night matchup between two teams that would rather be talking about the trade deadline than the standings.
Gausman actually pitched well in his last outing, working 6 innings and allowing just 1 earned run with 7 strikeouts against the Mets — and still took the loss. Roupp's last time out was the opposite story: 2.2 innings, 6 earned runs, 6 walks against Arizona, a start that matched one of the worst of his career. Neither guy has been sharp enough lately to feel like a lock, but the gap in recent command is real.
The bigger story for Toronto is who's not in the lineup. George Springer was placed on the family medical emergency list Saturday, pulling one of the Blue Jays' most established bats out of an already thin outfield mix that's missing Addison Barger, Jesus Sanchez and Anthony Santander. San Francisco has its own absences — Matt Chapman is out with an abdominal strain and catcher Daniel Susac is on the shelf too — but the Giants at least have more bodies to plug the holes.
- 10-Day-ILAddison Barger RF — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Barger (elbow) will be shut down for a couple of weeks after a recent MRI revealed a stress reaction in his back, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJesus Sanchez RF — The Blue Jays placed Sanchez on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right ankle sprain.
- 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa 2B — Sosa (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment Monday with the Blue Jays' Arizona Complex League affiliate, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
- bereavementGeorge Springer DH — The Blue Jays are placing Springer on the Family Medical Emergency List on Saturday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
- 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer SP — Scherzer (back) threw three innings for High-A Vancouver on Friday, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three.
- 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia RP — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Garcia (elbow/neck/biceps) has resumed playing catch, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander RF — Santander (shoulder) could resume hitting within the next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 60-Day-ILJoe Mantiply RP — Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair some damage in his left knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 10-Day-ILMatt Chapman 3B — Chapman was diagnosed with an abdominal muscle strain following his removal from Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILHarrison Bader CF — Bader (foot) will start his hitting and throwing progressions later this week, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.
- 10-Day-ILDaniel Susac C — The Giants placed Susac on the 10-day injured list Friday with a lower-back strain, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
- 15-Day-ILKeaton Winn RP — Winn (elbow) struck out two in a scoreless inning during a rehab outing with the Giants' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate in its 9-5 win over the ACL Athletics on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Gage RP — The Giants placed Gage on the 15-day IL on Saturday due to a left elbow strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
- 60-Day-ILJoel Peguero RP — Peguero (hamstring) threw 30 pitches during a bullpen session Monday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.
- 60-Day-ILJason Foley RP — Foley (shoulder) struck out two over a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday.
- 60-Day-ILRowan Wick RP — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Form-wise, this is two teams stumbling into the week rather than building momentum. The Blue Jays got run out of Seattle, dropping back-to-back games 11-0 and 0-4 after opening that trip with a win. The Giants have been just as uneven, alternating losses and wins over their last five and getting torched 15-3 by Colorado before salvaging the finale. Records of 42-48 and 37-52 tell you neither club is playing with much margin for error.
None of this screams appointment viewing, but the injury gap matters here. Springer's absence thins out a Blue Jays lineup that was already scrapping for offense on the road trip, while the Giants — for all their own warts — get to play this one at home with a healthier group of everyday hitters. That's a real edge even before you look at who's on the mound.