The Blue Jays arrive in Tampa Bay still hanging around the American League playoff picture, but they’ll have to navigate a tough opening test to keep that momentum going.
Toronto opens a three-game road set against the Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, carrying a 61-65 record after taking two of three from the Yankees over the weekend. Tampa Bay comes in at 75-49, the top mark in the AL East, and has already had the upper hand in this matchup all season, winning eight of the first 10 meetings.
The Blue Jays also have to do it without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who remains out after being placed on the seven-day concussion injured list following a hit to the head in Friday’s game against the Yankees. That puts more pressure on the rest of the lineup to generate enough offense against one of the AL’s best clubs.
Toronto is expected to turn to Jose Soriano in the opener, while Tampa Bay counters with right-hander Nick Martinez. Soriano is 9-6 with a 3.16 ERA and 134 strikeouts. Martinez enters at 12-3 with a 2.74 ERA.
One of the clearest Toronto advantages may come with George Springer, who moves into a more important spot in the middle of the order with Guerrero sidelined. He has done damage against Martinez before, going 8-for-19 with two home runs in his career against the Tampa Bay starter.
That kind of production would be a welcome boost for a Blue Jays offense that needs someone to supply Guerrero’s missing power. Martinez has been steady all season and is coming off his first career complete game, which he threw against the Athletics on August 11.
Toronto’s other major assignment is on the mound, where Soriano will have to deal with Junior Caminero. Caminero has been one of Tampa Bay’s biggest bats, leading the team with 35 home runs and 79 RBIs, and he has also handled Soriano well in the past, going 3-for-7 against him.
For the Blue Jays, keeping Caminero from delivering a big swing could be the difference between staying in the game and watching Tampa Bay take control quickly.
Another key piece for Toronto is Alejandro Kirk, who moves up to the No. 3 spot with Guerrero out. Kirk has been locked in lately, posting a 1.259 OPS over the past seven days entering the matchup.
Martinez’s style may give him chances to keep that hot streak going. Because he doesn’t pile up strikeouts, Kirk should see plenty of balls in play and opportunities to extend innings for Toronto.
The opener is set for 6:40 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
In Other News...
Blue Jays May Have Landed A Future Bat Fans Will Obsess Over
The Blue Jays are already chasing a postseason spot in 2024, but they also appear to be making a major bet on what their lineup could look like years from now. Toronto has reportedly reached a verbal agreement to sign 15-year-old Dominican third baseman ngel Monts for a $5.5 million bonus, a deal that would not become official until January 2028, but one that signals just how highly the organization views the young infielder.
Monts is being billed as a prospect with real athletic ability and impact with the bat, the kind of profile that can create a lot of buzz long before he takes a professional swing in the system. For a Blue Jays team trying to win now, it is another reminder that the front office is keeping one eye on the future, and this one could eventually become the sort of prospect fans start tracking well before he arrives in Toronto. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Face A Gimnez Concern They Cant Ignore
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For a team that leans on Gimnezs glove and stability, any hamstring issue is the kind of development that gets attention quickly. He has not previously been placed on the injured list for a hamstring injury, so the Blue Jays will be watching closely to see whether this is a short-term interruption or something that could linger and affect an already thin infield mix. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Keep Facing The Same Jess Snchez Problem Late In Games
Jess Snchez keeps forcing the Blue Jays into the same uncomfortable trade-off. His bat has been valuable enough that Toronto keeps writing his name into the lineup, but his glove has become a recurring issue, and it surfaced again in the loss to Tampa Bay when a fly ball got away from him and helped tilt the game toward the Rays. For a club trying to squeeze every run it can out of tight games, that kind of defensive blemish is hard to ignore even when the offensive upside is real.
The Blue Jays have mostly lived with the arrangement because Snchez has been one of their most productive hitters. He brings enough punch that the team is willing to accept the risk early and then look for a cleaner defensive option later, which has become a familiar late-game move. The tension for Toronto is obvious: keep him in there to benefit from the bat, or start planning around the possibility that one misplay can turn a close night into a costly one. [Read more 🡒]