First pitch is 7:07 PM ET at Rogers Centre, and the storyline writes itself. Scherzer (1-3, 9.64 ERA) hasn't pitched in the majors since getting torched for 7 earned in 2.1 innings on April 24. Luzardo (4-4, 4.56) comes in off a 6-inning, 5-ER no-decision against the White Sox and the kind of FIP that says he's been better than the line says.
There's a layer here beyond the arms. Don Mattingly is in the visiting dugout as Phillies interim manager after taking the job in late April, his first trip back to Toronto since managing the Jays to last fall's World Series. He knows this roster inside and out, and the Phillies (36-31) have responded — they took the opener 5-2 before dropping a 3-2 walk-off Tuesday when Dylan Cease came off the IL and punched out 11.
Toronto (33-35) is hanging around .500 with a patchwork pitching staff, and getting Cease and Scherzer back in 24 hours is basically the deadline arriving early. The catch: Scherzer admitted he's chasing strikeout 3,500 — he's 1 K away from becoming the 11th pitcher in history to get there — and he's doing it on a forearm that just stopped barking. Rust is the operative word.
- Day-To-DayAndrew Walling RP
- Day-To-DayCarson DeMartini SS
- Day-To-DayRene Pinto C — Pinto (undisclosed) began a rehab assignment Monday, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- Day-To-DayDaniel Robert RP — Robert suffered a cardiac incident Sunday while preparing to throw a bullpen session and was taken to a local hospital, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayMark Kolozsvary C — Kolozsvary (undisclosed) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILKyle Backhus RP — Backhus (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.
- suspensionJohan Rojas CF — Rojas (shoulder) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against Atlanta, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- Day-To-DayDaulton Varsho CF — Manager John Schneider said that Varsho, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, had an MRI on his left wrist come back negative, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 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 "making progress" while continuing to ramp up his hitting at the team's complex in Florida, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa 2B — Sosa went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI on Saturday against the Twins in an 11-4 victory.
- 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer SP — Scherzer (forearm) threw a bullpen session Sunday and expressed confidence that he would be available to pitch against the Phillies on Wednesday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
The Jays are also still without Daulton Varsho (wrist MRI came back clean Tuesday but he's out again), Alejandro Kirk, Anthony Santander and Addison Barger. That's a lot of bat missing on a night you're starting a guy who hasn't faced big-league hitters in 7 weeks. The Phillies, by comparison, have most of their lineup intact and are riding a quietly strong Luzardo run — best Phillies start of the year under Mattingly came from him.
Bet-wise, the market has nudged the Phillies' moneyline from -141 down to -124, which is a chunk of value bleeding toward Toronto. That's the bullpen-and-Scherzer-uncertainty discount, and it's how you end up with a closer game than the matchup on paper suggests.