Blue Jays' Bowden Francis: Loses no-hitter in the ninth
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Francis allowed one run on one hit and walk over eight innings Wednesday in a no-decision against the Mets. He struck out one.
It's the second time in Francis' last four starts that he's lost a no-hitter on a ninth-inning home run. The right-hander issued just one walk through eight innings before Francisco Lindor smacked a game-tying homer to lead off the ninth. Despite another tough finish, Francis has been spectacular of late, holding opponents to just one hit over seven or more innings in four of his last six outings -- he's posted a 1.25 ERA in that span (43 innings). Overall, the 28-year-old Francis is 8-4 on the season with a 3.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 82:20 K:BB over 92.2 innings. He's currently lined up for a road matchup with the Rangers next week in his next start.
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Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez: Tending to sore foot
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Jimenez is tending to a left foot injury, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. "He's pretty sore pushing off of [the foot]," Schneider said. So we want to be careful with it."
Even though he typically starts against left-handed pitchers like the Mets' Sean Manaea, Jimenez will take a seat for Wednesday's series finale after he was hit in the foot in Tuesday's 6-2 win. Jimenez has now been struck by pitches in four consecutive games and five times in seven September contests, so the infielder should benefit from a day off. The lefty-hitting Will Wagner will pick up a rare start against a lefty Wednesday in Jimenez's stead.
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Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez: Back on bench Wednesday
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Jimenez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Jimenez had started in five of the previous six games, but he'll take a seat Wednesday as the Blue Jays go with Will Wagner and Ernie Clement as their starters at the middle-infield spots. The right-handed-hitting Jimenez has mostly been deployed on the short side of a platoon in the infield with either Wagner or Addison Barger, but Jimenez could lose out on that role when shortstop Bo Bichette (calf) returns from the injured list.
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Blue Jays' Addison Barger: On bench against lefty
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Barger is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Barger has moved into a regular role against right-handed pitching, but the Blue Jays continue to shield the lefty-hitting utility man from southpaws. He'll cede duties at third base to Luis De Los Santos while southpaw Sean Manaea takes the hill for the Mets.
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Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk: Day off Wednesday
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Kirk is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Mets.
Kirk started at catcher in both of the first two games of the series but will begin Wednesday's finale on the bench. Brian Serven will be behind the dish and batting ninth for the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz: Not in lineup
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Horwitz is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Mets.
With lefty Sean Manaea drawing the start on the mound for the Mets, the left-handed-batting Horwitz will begin the series finale on the bench. George Springer will fill the designated-hitter spot for Toronto.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Out against southpaw
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Varsho is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Southpaw Sean Manaea is toeing the rubber for the Mets, so the left-handed-hitting Varsho will be given a day off in the series finale. Joey Loperfido will shift over to center field for the Blue Jays and will be flanked by Davis Schneider and Nathan Lukes.
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Blue Jays' Ernie Clement: Crosses plate three times Tuesday
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Clement went 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Mets.
The 28-year-old infielder's hot bat has kept him in the lineup in September. Clement has five multi-hit performances in eight games to begin the month, batting .324 (11-for-34) with a double, a triple, a homer, a steal, two RBI and eight runs. He could get squeezed for playing time once Bo Bichette (calf) comes off the IL, but for now Clement will continue bouncing between shortstop and third base while getting regular at-bats.
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Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt: Sharp in win No. 10
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Bassitt (10-12) picked up the win in Tuesday's 6-2 victory over the Mets, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out eight.
The veteran right-hander gave up three singles in the first inning to bring home a run, but Bassitt was dominant after that, leaving the mound after 101 pitches (63 strikes) with his 12th quality start of the year. It's his first win since Aug. 6, and in 10 starts since the All-Star break he's gone 2-6 with a 5.50 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 64:15 K:BB through 55.2 innings. Bassitt will look to string together consecutive victories for the first time since early June in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week against the Rangers.
Blue Jays' Will Wagner: Sitting against left-hander
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Wagner is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Mets.
It's southpaw David Peterson on the bump for the Mets, so the left-handed hitting Wagner will begin this one on the bench. Davis Schneider will start at second base and bat seventh for Toronto on Tuesday.
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Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: In Tuesday's lineup
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Guerrero (toe) will start at first base and bat third in Tuesday's game against the Mets.
Guerrero required X-rays after fouling a ball off the toes on his left foot during Monday's loss to the Mets, but he remained in that contest and is back in the lineup a day later. The first baseman is slashing .392/.465/.750in the second half.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Avoids serious injury
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Guerrero was sent for X-rays during Monday's game against the Mets after fouling a ball off his toes on his left foot, but he remained in the game after the results returned negative, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Guerrero walked off the field gingerly and was spotted heading down the tunnel to the clubhouse following his third at-bat of the game, but he appears to have avoided a significant injury. The team will likely re-evaluate the slugger Tuesday morning to determine whether he'll be ready to go for the second game of the series. Spencer Horwitz would be the obvious choice for a start at first base if Guerrero is forced to sit.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Dropped from lineup Monday
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Loperfido is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.
Loperfido will hit the bench after he started the final two games of the Blue Jays' weekend series with Atlanta, going 3-for-7 with a double and a walk between those contests. Since joining the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, Loperfido has put together a .222/.260/.394 slash line with a 32.7 percent strikeout rate over 29 games. Loperfido's lack of productivity has prevented him from fully taking control of an everyday spot in the Toronto outfield.
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Blue Jays' Ryan Burr: Opening for Toronto on Monday
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Burr will serve as the Blue Jays' opening pitcher in Monday's game versus the Mets, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Ryan Yarbrough will be a candidate to eat up most of the innings Monday as a bulk reliever. Burr had one previous opener assignment last month, allowing two hits and a walk but no runs over one-plus innings.
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Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz: Power surge continues Sunday
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Horwitz went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer in Sunday's extra-innings loss to Atlanta.
Horwitz didn't get the start Sunday with lefty Chris Sale on the mound for the home side, but he pinch hit for Leo Jimenez in the eighth inning and launched a go-ahead homer off Joe Jimenez, only for Atlanta to tie it up in the bottom of the ninth and walk it off in the 11th. Horwitz was viewed as a hit-over-power prospect in the minors, but he's changing that perception in his first extended look at big-league pitching. The 26-year-old has gone yard three times in the last two games, and through 311 MLB plate appearances in 2024 he's slashing .274/.360/.467 with 12 homers and 34 RBI.
