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Cincinnati Reds at Toronto Blue Jays

By JR·2 min read
Cincinnati RedsCIN(74-85)
Toronto Blue JaysTOR(77-82)
AT
7:07 PM ET

TLDR: The Blue Jays were supposed to be playing for October. Instead they open the final weekend in last place in the AL East and already eliminated, hosting a Reds team that just won 2 of 3 in Atlanta and flew north late last night.

FRI SEP 25, 7:07 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Reds
(74-85)
WLWLL
Blue Jays
(77-82)
LLLWL

Cincinnati opens the final weekend in Toronto against a Blue Jays team that was just eliminated, has lost 3 straight and has barely scored. Lodolo starts for the Reds, while a Toronto rotation missing 8 starters hasn't named anyone yet. The Reds have been hitting, but they arrive on a night-to-day turnaround after flying in from Atlanta.

Reds
  • De La Cruz homered in the 7-6 win at Atlanta
  • Won 2 of the 3 games in Atlanta
  • Lodolo worked 7 innings his last time out
  • Night-to-day turnaround after a 7:15 PM game in Atlanta
  • Lodolo 5.04 ERA, 1 strikeout his last start
  • Bullpen without Santillan and Garcia
Blue Jays
  • Playing at home under the roof, no travel
  • Reds' pen pitched a 1-run game the night before
  • Starter unnamed, 8 starting pitchers on the IL
  • Scored 2 or 3 in 4 of their last 5
  • Eliminated after 3 straight losses to Baltimore

Nick Lodolo (3-6, 5.04 ERA) takes the ball for Cincinnati at 7:07 PM ET under the Rogers Centre roof. His last start against the Cubs looked better than it was: 7 innings and 3 earned runs, but only 1 strikeout on 90 pitches, and he took the loss. When a lefty gets that few swing-and-miss outs, he needs his defense to catch everything. Toronto still hasn't named a starter, which makes sense once you see how many arms are gone.

Nick Lodolo
Nick Lodolo
(3-6)·5.04 ERA
Sep 19 vs Cubs
L
7.0IP
3ER
1K
2BB
90P
09/25 Lineup
Toronto Blue Jays
TBD
—
TBD
ND
—IP
—ER
—K
—BB
—P
09/25 Lineup

Cincinnati's bats showed up in Atlanta. Elly De La Cruz hit his 30th homer in the 7-6 comeback win over the NL East champs, and rookies Héctor Rodríguez and Carlos Jorge homered too. The catch is the schedule. That game started at 7:15 PM on Thursday at Truist Park, so the Reds are playing again less than 24 hours later in another country, with a bullpen already missing Tony Santillan and Julian Garcia. Toronto is a modest home favorite, and that price is based mostly on playing at home against the Reds' travel day.

Toronto's bats are the other half of the story. The Jays scored 2, 3, 2 and 2 in 4 of their last 5 and have lost 3 straight, all to Baltimore. The last of those losses officially eliminated them. John Schneider didn't point at anyone in particular: "There's missed opportunities from everyone. Myself, the staff, everyone. It's not one person, it's been some unfortunate breaks, some unfortunate injuries." For a club that came into 2026 expecting to win the World Series, 77-82 is a hard landing.

Cincinnati Reds
(74-85)
09/24W@Braves7-6
09/23L@Braves2-3
09/22W@Braves4-0
09/20LvsCubs1-9
09/19LvsCubs2-5
Toronto Blue Jays
(77-82)
09/23L@Orioles2-4
09/23L@Orioles2-4
09/21L@Orioles3-4
09/20W@Rangers7-2
09/19L@Rangers2-6

When Schneider says "unfortunate injuries," the rotation is what he means. Dylan Cease went on the IL with shoulder inflammation, Shane Bieber is unlikely to make it back before the season ends, and Jameson Taillon has said his season is over. José Berríos, Bowden Francis, Cody Ponce, Patrick Corbin and Jake Bloss are all on the 60-day. Whoever Toronto names tonight is coming from deep in the depth chart. The Reds have their own list: Hunter Greene had his second Tommy John surgery, Chase Burns has been shut down with a groin injury, and Spencer Steer is headed for wrist surgery.

Cincinnati Reds
(7)
  • 15-Day-ILTony Santillan (RP) — Santillan will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a left hip labral tear.09/23
  • 15-Day-ILChase Burns (SP) — Burns (groin) worked on adding a sinker in his September outings before getting placed on the 15-day injured list to end his season.09/23
  • 15-Day-ILJulian Garcia (RP) — The Reds placed Garcia on the 15-day injured list Friday with loose bodies in his right elbow.09/18
  • 60-Day-ILSpencer Steer (1B) — Steer will undergo right wrist surgery next Wednesday.09/23
  • 60-Day-ILBlake Dunn (CF) — Dunn will have ulnar nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow Wednesday.09/15
  • 60-Day-ILMichael Toglia (1B) — The Reds transferred Toglia (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday.09/04
  • 60-Day-ILHunter Greene (SP) — Greene (elbow) will be out for 12-to-18 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery Wednesday.08/13
Toronto Blue Jays
(15)
  • Day-To-DayBrett Bateman (CF) — An MRI on Bateman's right hip came back negative.09/23
  • 10-Day-ILRudy Martin Jr. (RF) — The Blue Jays selected Martin's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.09/14
  • 10-Day-ILLuis Urias (2B) — Urias (quadriceps) will be shut down for the next two weeks.08/10
  • 15-Day-ILDylan Cease (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Cease on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation.09/23
  • 15-Day-ILShane Bieber (SP) — It "would be tough" for Bieber (shoulder) to return from the 15-day injured list before the end of the regular season.09/18
  • 15-Day-ILJameson Taillon (SP) — Taillon (elbow) revealed his "season is over" Tuesday and confirmed he'll be evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Sept. 22.09/15
  • 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Santander (shoulder/back) is scheduled to play in the outfield for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.09/18
  • 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Ponce (knee) would be a candidate to return from the 60-day injured list only if the Blue Jays make the postseason and advanced deep into October.09/07
  • 60-Day-ILPatrick Corbin (SP) — Corbin (shoulder) is a "long shot" to return from the 60-day injured list this season.09/07
  • 60-Day-ILJonatan Clase (LF) — The Blue Jays transferred Clase (foot) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.08/27
  • 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Garcia (elbow/neck/biceps) underwent thoracic outlet surgery Thursday and will miss the rest of the season.08/26
  • 60-Day-ILJake Bloss (SP) — The Blue Jays recalled Bloss from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday and placed him on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from a right teres major strain.08/12
  • 60-Day-ILAddison Barger (RF) — Barger is expected to be sidelined six months following surgery Monday to repair his right elbow UCL.07/27
  • 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired.05/27
  • 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08

Neither team is playing for anything in this 1st of 3 on the final weekend, so it will come down to who pitches well enough to keep his team in it. Lodolo only has to hold a lineup that has been scoring in the 2s. Toronto's unnamed starter has to handle a Reds lineup that just went deep 3 times in Atlanta. The Reds' pen will be worth watching in the late innings after the flight.

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