CHICAGO – The Toronto Blue Jays’ series finale against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday was postponed due to bad weather. While this means a future off-day is lost-the game’s been rescheduled to Aug. 6 at Wrigley Field-there’s a silver lining for the team.
Kevin Gausman’s two-inning start on Friday was followed by Patrick Corbin throwing 3.2 innings the next day, resulting in a heavy toll on the Blue Jays’ bullpen. The team used nine relievers over those two games-not including outfielder Myles Straw, who recorded four outs in Friday’s 16-2 loss-adding to the burden of an already taxed relief corps.
However, instead of facing a tough stretch of 16 games in just 16 days, Blue Jays manager John Schneider can now take a moment to breathe and let his overworked relievers do the same on what has unexpectedly become an off day before Monday’s matchup against the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre.
Dylan Cease, who was scheduled to start Sunday, will likely take the mound in that game while Shane Bieber’s first start after returning from injury is pushed to Tuesday. The return of this impactful right-hander should help stabilize the rotation and lighten the load for the Blue Jays’ bullpen, which has logged 332.1 innings this season-a staggering 49 percent of the team’s total innings. For comparison, last year’s bullpen made up 41.5 percent of the team’s 1,438 innings.
Looking ahead, though, it’ll be important for Corbin to step up in his next outing. His recent struggles were somewhat hidden by Saturday’s thrilling comeback win over the Cubs; however, he has allowed 14 runs on 23 hits across just 15.1 innings over his last four outings.
This kind of performance could raise questions about his spot in the rotation. With Max Scherzer nearing a return from back spasms, there’ll be discussions about what to do with Corbin. One possible solution might be shifting him into a bulk role in the bullpen; however, that role is currently occupied by right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who has pitched seven scoreless innings since joining the Blue Jays.
No matter what happens next, it’s evident that Corbin’s current production isn’t helping as the team aims to get back to.500.
Before Saturday’s game at Wrigley Field, several Blue Jays players wore black T-shirts featuring an image of David Popkins along with “LEAVE” written boldly in white letters. This shirt pays tribute to their hitting coach and captures his signature phrase yelled from the dugout when batters hesitate against borderline pitches.
“It just became our team thing,” said George Springer. “It’s awesome to hear it during at-bats because he yells it and it makes you feel good.”
The veteran recently had these shirts made and distributed them among teammates over the weekend.
“We all love Pop,” said Springer. “He’s so invested into all of us.”
“Pop doesn’t like being the center of attention,” joked Schneider about these shirts. “But he’s got that Baseball America [2025] Coach of the Year title now so we’re going to try making him feel special.”
As for Springer himself, his recent work with Popkins seems to be paying off at bat. The designated hitter has hit three homers in his last eight games and racked up five walks along with ten hits during this time for a.333/.432/.667 slash line.
“He’s swinging at good pitches and laying off ones he shouldn’t swing at,” said Schneider. “His swings are getting quicker and tighter; there’s good intent behind them too. It starts with command of the zone-he’s doing really well there-and as that improves so does his confidence.”
Schneider will manage alongside Dave Roberts at next month’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia as manager for this year’s American League champion Blue Jays and was asked how he’s preparing for this event.
(Note: Managers no longer handle All-Star roster selections but Schneider can share any thoughts with MLB’s baseball ops group.)
Schneider: “This is new territory for me as well as many on staff; we’re sort of winging it regarding what’s expected from us-but I’m looking forward to it! It should be fun-it’ll be an experience I think everyone would enjoy-and I’m definitely one of those people.”
“I always say Pete [Walker] and De Marlo [Hale] have tough jobs figuring out who’s pitching when or how much they’re pitching or who’s playing when-while I mostly hang out talking media and make sure I don’t mess anything up! So yeah-it should really be fun.”
“The key part is recognizing all those talented players involved-the talent level present within our clubhouse versus theirs across town too! I’m truly honored being part of this experience while wanting nothing more than staying out their way-to acknowledge those chosen players having great seasons!”
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