One club is running out of season, and the other can't afford to lose a single arm along the way — both show up in Toronto with rosters thinned out by the injury report.
−Lost Taillon to elbow inflammation on top of Bieber, Yesavage
−Rotation down 3 starters at once in a playoff push
−Santander still working back from shoulder surgery
Neither side has announced a starter for Saturday, September 12's game at Rogers Centre, with first pitch set for 3:07 PM ET, and that's not for lack of trying — both rotations have taken real hits in the last week. Toronto is picking through the wreckage of 3 starters lost to injury, and Baltimore is riding whoever's healthy after its bullpen got gutted over the summer.
The Blue Jays lost Jameson Taillon to right elbow inflammation, and he joins Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage on the injured list — all 3 arms out at the same time, in the middle of a wild card push. Baltimore's version of that problem happened months ago and never got fixed: Felix Bautista, Ryan Helsley, Colin Selby and Keegan Akin are all done for the year, which is a lot of length to be missing from a bullpen in September.
Toronto climbed back to .500 with a win over Kansas City and has stayed in the thick of the American League wild card race since, sitting within a game of the field as of the start of the month. Baltimore's stretch run has gone the other way — the Orioles are the kind of team playing out a lost season, and every game left is more about individual performances than the standings.
Coby Mayo has looked like the real thing lately, hitting 2 home runs in the win that snapped Baltimore's 6-game skid, and Trevor Rogers picked up his 10th win of the year with 7.1 strong innings in that same game — encouraging signs even in a season that's gotten away from the Orioles. Toronto's offense, meanwhile, is leaning on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showing signs of turning a corner after a quiet summer, which matters a lot more with the rotation short-handed.
Before this one, the two clubs open the series Friday, September 11, at Rogers Centre — a game that will already be in the books by the time this one starts and could shape which bullpen arms are fresh for it. Baltimore also has a game against Cleveland to get through first, so both rosters could look a little different by the time they're back on the field together.
