The Toronto Blue Jays have pushed their contention window up with a strong first two-thirds of the season. At 24-20, Charlie Montoyo’s club sits half a game ahead of the Yankees for second place in the AL East. If the season ended today, Toronto would find themselves in the playoff bracket for the first time since back-to-back ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016.
The Blue Jays have remained competitive despite a number of injuries to their offense. Bo Bichette is their biggest absence to date, but he’s back in the lineup for tonight’s game, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter). They may have other reinforcements on the way as well. GM Ross Atkins sounds hopeful that Rowdy Tellez can return soon, though his language suggests a playoff return is more likely, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Said Atkins, “Hopefully Rowdy becomes an option for us if not by the end of the season, hopefully by the playoffs.”
Tellez hit the injured list just a couple days ago with a knee strain. For the first 35 games of the season, the Blue Jays featured Tellez prominently as the big first baseman slashed .283/.346/.540 with 8 home runs and 23 RBIs while splitting his time between first base and designated hitter.
Teoscar Hernandez could return to the lineup even sooner, per Nicholson-Smith. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign as his contact and on-base skills have – at least in the small sample of the season – caught up with his considerable power. Over the previous two seasons, Hernandez posted a triple slash of .235/.304/.470 with 8.7 BB%, 32 K%, and a .235 ISO. This season, slight improvements in strikeout rate (28.3 K%) and a robust display of power (.329 ISO) have led to a .308/.358/.637 line with 14 home runs across 159 plate appearances this season for the right fielder. Of course, a .352 BABIP, perhaps brought on a by rising 56.9% Hard Hit percentage, hasn’t hurt his cause either. Per Nicholson-Smith, Hernandez’s recovery has thus far gone better than expected.
I don’t think it matters too much what seed any team gets in with this season. With no fans, and possible bubbles, home field advantage, or burning an Ace for wild card game isn’t really a thing this year. Hope Jays get back their 3 biggest bats in time for playoffs, and other key pitchers, they have a shot.
That is IF they make the playoffs. The woke the Yankees up last week and that was their first mistake. Secondly they need a manger in a desperate way. Why he did not give Kirk an at bat last night is beyond any ones comprehension, He will probably throw him to the fire today with a behind the plate start and have Ryu pitch who is just now starting to get on the same page as Jansen.
I put this comment through Google Translate, but It was unable to determine the language. “The woke the Yankees” “they need a manger” “any ones comprehension”. If I was the ‘manger’ I wouldn’t be too concerned by this criticism. I’d be more concerned if it’s author agreed with me. BTW, Ryu pitches tomorrow to Jansen. And if not hitting the second catcher is the height of ‘criticism’, I’d say Charlie is doing a good job.
Sorry didn’t know the typing police were on here but I meant to type They woke up the Yankees …so yes my bad.
I also see they now announced that Ray would be starting today where as there was speculation that Ryu might go before that and we still don’t know who is catching which. However last night would have been a great time to give Kirk a shot and see.
The manager is clueless and if you can not see that then go back and read any of the previous articles where myself or others have stated incidents on how bad his decisions are and how they have cost the club.
Darthyen I see Eddie and Daddy are doing the typical Jays fan routine of making excuses and sucking. So I’ll piggyback off what you said.
If Montoyo was doing a good job we’d be discussing the Blue Jays battling for the division. Montoyo managed like he’s still receiving paychecks from the Rays. Montoyo’s not the guy, and the Jays should get rid of him after the season if they really want to compete in 2021.
Being down 14-1 after the first 4 innings was an automatic pinch hit and play situation for Kirk. No better time to get your feet wet. But nope, why bring logic and reason to the table?
I hear what you are saying regarding the Yankees. Win 2 games and start your C-minus lineup in Game 3. Jays basically conceded a victory to the Yankees instead of laying the tip of the dagger through their hearts.
There’s one flaw in all of that, the Jays have been carrying two catchers for the games. Let’s say Danny gets lifted in the fifth for Kirk, Kirk gets injured before the game ends, who catches? I wasn’t as mad that he didn’t get an AB last night because you never want to come in for your first AB in a blow out.
But, yes Charlie has done an abysmal job as manager and needs to go ASAP.
Jaysrule – then carry 3 catchers. Problem solved. No reason for Kirk not to get 1 at bat.
To answer your question, it looks like Cavan would catch haha! Kid can play anywhere, it looks like!
So the team wet’s the bed and charlie should tell Kirk to go lie in it. I don’t think so. When your trying to give the kids a winning atmosphere you don’t throw them into the worst loss in years. With Charlie being a new manager there will be some growing pains but overall the good far out ways the bad.
bullred what do you know about winning? Suddenly Kirk is damaged for catching an inning or two in a blowout? That is the BEST time to integrate a young kid. You want him in a tight game in a must-win instead? Stop making excuses for youth and stop making excuses for Montoyo being a terrible manager. The bad outway the good. The good is thanks to talent.
Your ideas are just lacking. Not surprising considering your age. You should watch a little more baseball and stay away from the keyboard. You might learn something.
bullred do you know my age? The answer is no.
I would argue you are young given the fact your comments lean heavily on a crybaby, wimpy approach. The day you know more baseball than me and more than half the other posters on this site will be the first in your life. Pathetic comment on your part.
Maybe he didn’t put Kirk in because he’s not very familiar with jays staff so wanted to give him a day to get to know some of the guys better. Also how is beating the Yankees out of 3 waking them up
first off for a playoff spot they only need to stay ahead of the O’s and Tigres, second Ray is starting today not Ryu
They were never contiplationg starting Ryu today and not have him available on regular rest to start in the playoffs
Generally I’d agree, but in the case of the Blue Jays they’ve had a lot of nightmares in Tropicana Field. If the wild card series is moved to a neutral site that’d help, but I believe the plan was only to move the later postseason series, and I can’t remember the last time they won a 3 game series at Tropicana. So they don’t want to be the 8th seed.
Smuz, Jays played the Rays at the Trop in Aug. and took 2 of 4 games
@jaysfansince1977:
“I can’t remember the last time they won a 3 game series at Tropicana”
———–“Jays played the Rays at the Trop in Aug. and took 2 of 4 games”
2/4 is a split. Not a win.
4 is not a 3 game series.
You miss the point my friend, 2 wins at the Trop wins a 3 game series, Jays have proven they can win two games at the trop. hence if they play the Rays in a playoff of 3 games at the Trop they have proven they can take two and win a playoff series!
Jays have a great young core but their rotation is way too shaky to make a deep playoff run this season.
Who needs a rotation in the postseason? With all the off days they could run out a rotation of Ryu, Walker and two bullpen days.
they could just piggyback Kay and Hatch as their #3
In say game 3 of the wild card series, I’d do something like this. Pearson as opener for an inning or two, Kay for 1 or 2 innings, Hatch for 1 or 2, then Cole, Borucki, Dolis, Bass and Giles. That’s more than enough and the lengths can be adjusted according to who’s pitching well.
In the ALDS/ALCS/WS (assuming the good luck of getting there) they’d need to use some iffier guys, but only in short stints where they’re less exposed. Plenty of arms.
The key word of his statement was “deep”. The Jays have no choice but to take the bullpen route which means if actual starters can’t pitch deep in games or be effective enough it will be difficult to see the Jays go deep in the postseason. They’d have to outhit their problems. That’s a big ask.
Considering this year everyone was just hoping the jays made it to near .500 why do people feel the need to spout off about how their not gonna go deep
What do you mean? Having only one good starter is the new market inefficiency!
You have to have Pitching & Defence & Blue Jays don’t have enough of both, Toronto pichers can’t go more than 3 innigs other than Ryu, Villar is Terrible, Vlad can only DH, Jansen can’t catch a pop up or a ball that’s threw to him other than a pitcher. Don’t know why they didn’t get an experienced catcher at the trade deadline. Last night in the BLOWOUT they should have put Kirk in to get him some playing time. Bad move.
Max, Walker has pitched 4+ innings 3 times, Roark has Pitched 4+ innings 7 times not sure where ya are getting your facts
4+ innings? How many times have they gone 6+ innings? Who cares if they are going 4+ innings? What argument are you trying to make except for the fact your argument is incredibly weak.
they have the 4th best bullpen in the majors. Using it seems to be better than using starters that are struggling
Simple, he stated no Jays pitcher can go past 3, i pointed out that it happens quite regularlly, Your response is weak
Not as weak as your spelling and grammar. Step up or step out.
He stepped up. And you talk about a weak response and mention spelling and grammar. Please!
Why was it a bad move? when exactly did you want him coming in? So he could face DeGrom when he was dealing? not the ideal situation at all
Agreed.
If you are referring to Kirk, and you are using the logic that DeGrom is dealing, probably shouldn’t call up Kirk if facing DeGrom is a problem. Again, who cares who is on the mound? Down by double digits, bring the kid in.
Otherwise I do not know what you are talking about, and some knowledgeable Jays fans don’t either. That is why Joel agreed.
Most major league players have a problem with DeGrom. Should they be sent down too . Your logic sucks! Kirk is wet behind the ears and would probably not be called up in a regular season. This season is different and he should be up to be integrated with the players and catch some bullpens and learn about the pitching staff. He might even get his feet wet but the Jays don’t care what you or I think and shouldn’t
Kirk is wet behind the ears….um yeah, so let’s not call him up. Thank you.
Or, give him an at bat in a no-pressure situation. What is the harm, exactly? Using the “it’s DeGrom” excuse does not fly for any professional ballplayer. I bet Kirk would have welcomed that challenge. But, it didn’t have to happen. Kirk could have come in to hit in the 8th and avoided it altogether just to please you. God forbid these pros get challenged.
Catching two innings in a blowout game would not have been earth shattering. No worse than a position player coming in to pitch an inning when they NEVER practice pitching. At least Kirk catches and IS a catcher. Your “let’s baby these players” mentality probably won’t fly.
Agreed
Nothing of what the BlueJays brass does for this year is going to matter much. They are not winning anything with one good starter. And the opponents pitching gets much better as the playoffs proceed.
Everyone needs to chill and start looking to next year without Montoyo and Atkins.
Montoyo will be a finalist for Manager of the Year. He’s not going anywhere.
Atkins is not going anywhere. Not unless there is a leak to the press about a potential front office “rift” a couple weeks from now.
Lol
Missed your takes riled bill.
Really think Montoyo will be a finalist?
They usually just nominate the playoff managers, so an 8 team field makes it a bit interesting.
If Jays can finish strong and grab a top 6 seed would help Montoyo’s case I guess.
Cash, Renteria, Baldelli and Melvin lead the pack right now.
The voters don’t really take into consideration strategy of any sort, simple look at the standings for the most part.
From my jaded perspective.
Does Charlie’s 2021 role depend on whether the Jays can hold a top 8 spot? I think so.
14 games left with a 5 game lead would be considered a collapse if they can’t hold on.
If they hold on, then it’s tough to shake it up? So many reasons to say it is very easy and worthwhile to shake it up, but there is a certain magic with this team and I think that Montoyo deserves some credit for that atmosphere.
More guys overperforming under this loose culture than not. Let the kids play?!
Preseason expectations, and in-season injuries factored, this team has played like 10 games over it’s head.
Recent things…
Starting pitcher usage, short leash continues. Frustrating. Not working as well as it had been, but maintaining a top 5 bullpen with mostly smoke and mirrors is impressive enough so who am I to question any of it.
Why let the Yankees get comfortable against any particular pitcher when they are going to be the opponent again so many times coming up? Keep them on their toes as much as you can. By the 3rd series against them, they will have new, healthy, hopefully rusty bats in the lineup so the looks will probably remain fresh.
Even if Ray and Stripling totally flop down the stretch, their competition seems to be Roark, Anderson and maybe Shoemaker for a game 3 spot. With a backup plan of a bullpen day looking mighty appealing for the most part.
Walker hasn’t been some amazing confidence inspiring game 2 type arm either.
Ray actually has that upside in him. Can he get hot?
Resting Gurriel before the day off when everyone was hurting seemed odd to me. I was wondering whether the little bang into the wall the night before was part of his absence? Tough to judge when we aren’t privy to all of the details. Some things are still kept from us.
I don’t know if it’s more the players or the amount of money they generate/make but teams sure are cautious with any little injury more than ever in recent years.
Did Jeff Mcneil really leave the game because of gas? I don’t but I kinda wanna know more.
Panik and Espinal, finding a bit of rhythm at the plate with a bit more regular at bats. Nice to see.
Shaw finally clicking, and it’s a really faint click, but the competition was Drury and the September has been nice.
Fisher has fantastic approach, walk rate like Biggio and Jansen, but results more like Jansen. Would like to see more chances against rhp for him.
Kirk is a beauty for one game per series keeping Jansen fresh.
Jansen’s approach deserves a hot streak here. Would be excellent timing.
Going to be a lot to criticize in this big series coming up.
Cole is a tough matchup. Tanaka always crushes the Jays souls.
Grichuk, Biggio, Gurriel, Guerrero, Villar, Shaw, Panik, Jansen, Espinal getting the most ABs in Sept so far.
Bichette huge upgrade. Left a lot on base against the Mets. Hoping he’s got that rust shaken.
Hoping to see Espinal rotated in for Villar, Shaw, Panik, Guerrero once a week, keep all these guys fresh.
Hoping to see Fisher and Davis rotated in a bit more but there isn’t enough at bats for everyone.
Hate seeing Grichuk, Biggio or Gurriel rest at all for right now at least.
Elephant in the room is that Vlad just needs to get hot, simple.
Feeling more likely that Teoscar returns to be that guy.
Loving every minute of it.
Not so much all the blunders and when we get the 10 run inning happen to us, but this season has been infinitely more watchable than last season.
Villar major headache, he does show those flashes of awesome but he can’t be doing himself any favours for when it’s time to hit the market. Pinch running weapon in a playoff series at the very least. A faulty weapon that sometimes goes off without notice, but we will keep using it just in case.
Go Jays.