The Marlins (26-29) roll into Rogers Centre having taken 4 of their last 5, and they get the easy headline: Sandy Alcantara, 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA, on the bump. His last time out he went 6 innings against Tampa Bay and gave up just an unearned run, so the version Miami is sending north has been trending the right way.
Toronto counters with Braydon Fisher as the opener. He's listed at 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA, but the context matters: Fisher hasn't recorded more than 6 outs in any appearance this year. This is a bullpen game dressed up as a starter matchup, and the Jays are doing it because the rotation behind Fisher is a triage unit.
That rotation problem is brutal. Dylan Cease is getting an MRI on his hamstring. Max Scherzer is throwing a live BP this week trying to work back from a forearm. Jose Berrios just had Tommy John. Shane Bieber is still on a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. That's a Cy Young trophy case sitting on the shelf.
- Day-To-DayConnor Norby 1B — Norby (elbow) is not in the lineup for Monday's contest in Toronto.
- Day-To-DayKemp Alderman RF — Triple-A Jacksonville placed Alderman on the 7-day injured list Tuesday due to a left wrist injury, Michael Germanese of Roundtable.io reports.
- Day-To-DayThomas White SP — Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Sunday that White is recovering from "a bit of a shoulder thing," Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.
- 7-day ilLeo Jimenez 3B — Jimenez will head to the IL after being removed from Tuesday's game against Atlanta, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- 10-Day-ILGriffin Conine LF — Conine will undergo a left hamstring tendon excision next week, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling SP — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.
- 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez RP — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
- 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur SP — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayVladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B — Guerrero (elbow) is absent from the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.
- Day-To-DayGeovanny Jesus Planchart C — no
- Day-To-DayChay Yeager RP — Yeager will undergo season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- Day-To-DayCJ Stubbs C — The Blue Jays signed Stubbs to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.
- Day-To-DayJaven Coleman P — no
- 10-Day-ILAddison Barger RF — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Barger (elbow) is "probably still a couple days away from starting throwing," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 10-Day-ILAlejandro Kirk C — Kirk (thumb) will be evaluated by the Blue Jays training staff this weekend as he prepares to take the next step in his rehab, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 15-Day-ILJoe Mantiply RP — Mantiply (knee) is expected to resume throwing within the next couple of days, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
On top of the arms, Vlad Guerrero Jr. is out of the lineup after taking a pitch off the inside of his right elbow Sunday. X-rays were clean and he's listed day-to-day, possibly available off the bench, but losing your best bat against an Alcantara start is a hit Toronto can't really absorb.
The market sees the Jays as moderate home favorites despite all of that, which says more about the Fisher-plus-bullpen blueprint than any belief in the offense without Vlad. The total sitting at 7.5 with juice to the under makes sense — Alcantara has a real chance to give Miami length, and Toronto's piecemeal staff has been functional even if it isn't sexy.
Bottom line: the Marlins have the better single-game pitching plan and the hotter recent stretch. The Jays are stitching together 9 innings from an opener and whatever's left in the pen, without their MVP-caliber first baseman. If you trust Alcantara to do Alcantara things, this is a spot Miami should be in until the late innings.