Blue Jays may have tough decision to make with rotation soon

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Blue Jays may have tough decision to make with rotation soon

By David Hill | Last updated Jun 16, 2026 7:04 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays may have a roster crunch in the next few days.

Keegan Matheson from MLB.com reported that pitcher Shane Bieber will make a rehab start with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday. He is aiming to throw approximately 75 pitches with an eye to rejoining the Blue Jays rotation.

Bieber has had an uneven showing during his rehab stint, posting a 6.00 ERA and a 1.750 WHIP in 12 innings across three levels, though he has struck out 12 batters with only one walk.

However, Bieber had an excellent outing in his most recent appearance for Buffalo, firing five shutout innings while allowing five hits and a walk, striking out four batters as he fired 62 pitches.

Shane Bieber will pitch tomorrow with Triple-A Buffalo, aiming for ~75P.

It’s possible that’s the last rehab start Bieber needs. Depending on how it goes, the #BlueJays could be facing a decision on their rotation soon.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 16, 2026

A healthy Shane Bieber could help Toronto Blue Jays pull back into playoff picture

If healthy, Bieber could be a key part of the Blue Jays rotation. He has battled a slew of elbow injuries over the past four seasons and has made just nine appearances in the majors since the start of the 2024 season. The two-time All-Star and 2020 AL Cy Young award winner was solid in his seven appearances for the Blue Jays in 2025, posting a 3.57 ERA and a 1.017 WHIP over his 40.1 innings, striking out 37 batters with seven walks.

Bieber would be a drastic upgrade to the rotation if he can replicate that performance. He could also force a difficult decision once healthy — the Blue Jay may need to decide between pitchers Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer.

While Corbin has the better overall numbers, he has also allowed 11 runs on 17 hits and six walks over his last 11.2 innings spanning three starts, striking out seven batters. Scherzer, meanwhile, may be rapidly reaching the end of the road, having posted a 10.13 ERA and a 1.727 WHIP over his 22 innings, striking out 14 batters with 11 walks.

Neither Corbin nor Scherzer may be long for the rotation. If both continue to struggle and Bieber can return to form, one of those pitchers will likely be removed from the rotation. Meanwhile, Rule 5 Draft pick Spencer Miles has performed well as a bulk reliever and could get another look in the rotation.

David Hill

Based in the mountains of Vermont, Dave has over a decade of experience writing about all things baseball. Just don't ask his thoughts on the universal DH.

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