Monday’s three-game slate comes with more pitching notes than you’d expect, and the biggest one is that Boston has already punched its ticket to October.
The Red Sox took a loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, but they still clinched a postseason berth when Houston fell to Atlanta. Boston is now positioned to finish with the No.
2 Wild Card spot in the AL. The Red Sox are five and a half games behind the Yankees and four games ahead of the White Sox, which would set up a first-round meeting with New York if the standings hold.
It’s a sharp finish to a stunning climb for a team that was 14 games under .500 in late June.
Detroit is also set to get a notable arm back in the mix. River Ryan is expected to start for the Tigers on Monday in what would be his debut for the club after coming over from Los Angeles in the Tarik Skubal trade.
The right-hander has been held to 10 Triple-A appearances this season because of injuries, and he’s posted a 4.39 ERA over 41 innings. Across the diamond, DJ Herz is expected to return to the Nationals after missing all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Toronto, meanwhile, is bringing Trey Yesavage back from the injured list for Monday’s game against the Orioles. The Blue Jays right-hander has been sidelined for about six weeks with right knee inflammation, and he logged one rehab outing in Triple-A, where he threw 34 pitches. Toronto enters the day on the edge of the AL Wild Card chase after dropping two of three to the Rangers, sitting three games behind the White Sox for the final playoff spot.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Already Have A Reason To Revisit The Jeff Hoffman Trade
The Blue Jays decision to move Jeff Hoffman at the 2026 MLB trade deadline already has a different feel because of the return they got back. Toronto sent the reliever to Minnesota and, in addition to international bonus pool money, picked up a prospect package that has started to matter in the lower levels of the organization. For a front office always balancing present-day needs with future depth, those kinds of deals are measured less by the name value going out and more by what starts to emerge afterward.
And there has been real movement on that front. Dasan Hill played a major role in helping Vancouver win a championship, Dameury Pena turned in an All-Star-caliber season in the Florida State League, and John Klein has flashed strikeout ability even while working through some inconsistency. None of that closes the book on the trade, but it does give the Blue Jays a reason to keep revisiting it with a little more interest than they might have had at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Slump Has Fans Asking If Fatigue Is Only Part Of It
The Blue Jays offense has spent much of 2026 looking like a group that has simply run out of gas, and the workload on a few core players helps explain why the slowdown has been so noticeable. Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer have all carried heavy responsibilities over a 399-day competitive window, a stretch that has asked a lot from the same familiar names while the lineup has tried to stay afloat.
Still, fatigue may only be part of the answer. Other clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, have kept producing offense through similarly demanding schedules, which points to something more layered than tired legs alone. The midseason splits for several Blue Jays suggest rest and injury recovery have played a role, but the bigger mystery is why the whole attack has not found a steadier baseline even as the calendar has worn on. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Bullpen Shuffle May Signal A Bigger Late Season Shift
The Blue Jays kept their bullpen in motion with another round of roster adjustments Tuesday, reinstating right-hander Trey Yesavage from the 15-day injured list and bringing up Chad Dallas from Triple-A Buffalo. Those moves opened the door for Toronto to clear space by optioning Spencer Arrighetti and designating left-hander Joe Mantiply for assignment, a reminder that the club is still sorting out which arms can carry it through the stretch run.
Mantiplys exit is the most notable piece of the shuffle, given that he has logged 27 innings this season while also working back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late May. For a Blue Jays team trying to stabilize the late innings, the decision suggests the front office and coaching staff are willing to keep experimenting with the relief mix rather than settle for what has already been on hand. [Read more 🡒]