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.05/08
- 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.05/08
- 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.05/08
- 15-Day-ILKyle Backhus (RP) — Backhus (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.06/09
- 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.05/08
- 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.06/09
- Day-To-DayGeovanny Jesus Planchart (C) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayChay Yeager (RP) — Yeager will undergo season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayCJ Stubbs (C) — The Blue Jays signed Stubbs to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.05/08
- Day-To-DayJaven Coleman (P) — no05/08
- 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.06/08
- 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.05/28
- 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.06/07
- developmental listFernando Perez (P)
- 60-Day-ILLazaro Estrada (RP) — Estrada (shoulder) struck out three over three perfect innings of relief Sunday in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Buffalo.06/09
- 60-Day-ILShane Bieber (SP) — Bieber (elbow) is scheduled to make the fourth start of his rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/09
- 60-Day-ILAlejandro Kirk (C) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Kirk (thumb) could be available to return from the 60-day injured list as soon as Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.06/08
- 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Garcia's (elbow) next rehab outing will be Saturday with Single-A Dunedin, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
- 60-Day-ILJoe Mantiply (RP) — Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair some damage in his left knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
- 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.05/27
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Toronto transferred Santander (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Ponce underwent surgery Friday to repair the ACL in his right knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
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.