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Blue Jays Face Further Rotation Conundrum After Latest Injury, Poor Performances

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 1:11 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win.

It's more a matter of "when" and not "if" based on the Blue Jays owning the best record in the American League and a lead in the division with just a handful of games remaining. But officially punching their ticket to October was on the table when they took the field against the Kansas City Royals.

Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition for Toronto on either Friday or Saturday, as Max Scherzer was lit up in the bottom of the first inning to the tune of seven earned runs allowed that set up a brutal 20-1 loss on Friday. They then struggled to get anything going during their 2-1 defeat on Saturday.

When it comes to making the playoffs, these losses won't affect their chances. The Blue Jays are going to clinch a spot in the postseason, and it could come on Sunday if they are finally able to get back in the winner's circle following four straight losses.

But Toronto now has a real issue on their hands when it comes to putting together a formidable rotation in October, as Scherzer's struggles coincide with the recent news that Chris Bassitt was placed on the injured list.

How Will Blue Jays Set Up Their Postseason Rotation?

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Neither Scherzer nor Bassitt were expected to be Game 1 or 2 starters because deadline acquisition Shane Bieber has been great since debuting for the team and Kevin Gausman has been effective all season long. But there are now real questions about how manager John Schneider is going to set things up in October.

Jose Berrios is moving to the bullpen. He joins Eric Lauer as starters who are being converted to relievers. Bassitt was likely going to be the Game 3 starter with Scherzer taking the fourth if needed. However, there are questions how Bassitt will look coming off his injured list stint, while Scherzer appears to have hit a wall.

Is that enough to make Schneider reconsider his initial plans? It's not clear right now. But the obvious strength of the pitching staff entering the stretch run of the campaign now has more question marks than they would have hoped.

First thing is first for the Blue Jays, though: they have to actually punch their ticket to the postseason. Once that happens, Schneider can then start putting together his strategy for how this rotation is going to look in October as he tries to navigate these newfound challenges.