Blue Jays pushing Eric Lauer’s start back due to illness

Lauer dominated the Athletics in his 2026 season debut last Sunday, holding them to two runs on three hits and one walk over 5.1 innings, striking out nine batters — the most he’s recorded in a single game since returning to Major League Baseball last season.

With José Berríos, Trey Yesavage (who’ll begin a Single-A rehab assignment on Friday) and Shane Bieber beginning this season on the injured list, Lauer was needed to step into the starting rotation yet again, just as he did a year ago. He was widely considered the saviour of last season’s staff, pitching to an impressive 3.77 ERA and 4.36 FIP with a 17.9 per cent strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) across 15 starts before moving to the bullpen.

The 30-year-old southpaw will probably return to a multi-inning reliever role once Yesavage and Berríos rejoin Toronto’s thinned-out rotation in a few weeks, assuming no other injuries emerge before then. Thus, he’ll continue to use this stretch as somewhat of a showcase, notably since he’s a pending free agent.

Dylan Cease will make his second start as a Blue Jay in Friday’s series opener versus the White Sox, and barring any unforeseen events, that should free up Estrada to either start Saturday’s contest or cover the bulk of those innings out of the ‘pen. Additionally, Spencer Miles could also be an option after throwing 41 pitches in Monday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies.