Red Sox Start 8-1 Sonny Gray Against Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage

Q: Is a rookie's slump or a wave of injuries the bigger threat to the Blue Jays' playoff hopes?

The bigger threat is the Blue Jays’ injuries, not Trey Yesavage’s slump. Yesavage’s recent downturn matters, especially because he has allowed 17 earned runs over his last 22.1 innings and is now facing the possibility that hitters are adjusting to him. But that is a problem one pitcher can potentially correct with sequencing, workload management and experience. He is also a 22-year-old rookie on a managed pitch count after opening the year on the injured list, so some inconsistency is not unusual. The broader issue is that Toronto’s playoff hopes are being tested by a depleted pitching staff. José Berríos has been sidelined by an elbow stress fracture, Max Scherzer just went back on the injured list with back spasms after earlier forearm and ankle issues, Shane Bieber has yet to make his season debut, and other arms such as Bowden Francis and Cody Ponce have also been unavailable. That has forced the Blue Jays to lean heavily on limited depth and inexperienced pitchers. The standings context makes that especially important. Toronto is still only around the wild-card mix and FanGraphs gives it a meaningful playoff chance, but in a crowded American League race, rotation stability is likely to decide whether the club stays in it. If Scherzer and Bieber return and the staff gets healthier, Yesavage’s slump becomes manageable. If the injuries continue, one rookie finding his form will not be enough.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 18

Sonny Gray takes the mound for Boston with an 8-1 record, 3.03 ERA and 4-0 mark at Fenway, where the Red Sox have won nine of his 12 starts.
Trey Yesavage makes his 10th start for Toronto after a rough stretch since May 25, allowing 17 earned runs over 22.1 innings following a stronger start to the season.
Boston enters the matchup last in the AL East and just 12-24 at home overall, making Gray's success at Fenway a rare bright spot.
Toronto also sits below .500 but remains in the crowded playoff picture, with 23 MLB teams within six games of .500 or better heading into July.