Toronto's bullpen gets a much-needed breather as Shane Bieber prepares to return, followed soon by Max Scherzer. Will that boost the Blue Jays' playoff odds?
The Toronto Blue Jays caught a break yesterday, with the postponement of their game in Chicago against the Cubs, due to rain, an opportunity to rest an over-worked bullpen staff.
The Jays’ bullpen is on pace this season to hit some historic numbers when it comes to usage – five pitchers making 75 or more appearances in a single season, according to MLB.com. The Jays’ bullpen has thrown 334.2 innings pitched this season, third in the league (with a 3.66 bullpen ERA, good for 10th in MLB).
That’s not going to be sustainable if they intend to make a run for a wildcard spot. They need length out of the starting staff, which has been hammered by injuries. The Jays through 66 games have been forced to go with 10 bullpen days.
There’s help on the way on the starter’s side, with Shane Bieber set to make his season debut tomorrow at Rogers Centre against the Houston Astros.
Bieber was supposed to start tonight’s game, but that start got pushed back a day with yesterday’s postponement of their game in Chicago.
The return of Bieber, and soon, Max Scherzer (back spasms), puts Patrick Corbin’s place on the team in question. Corbin has struggled of late as a starter, filling in for the injured staff, giving up 14 runs and 23 hits across 15.1 innings in four starts.
He got through just 3.2 IP on Saturday against the Cubs, giving up three runs on six hits, putting his team in the hole (they would come back to win 8-6, though, thanks, again, to solid bullpen work from Jeff Hoffman, Mason Fluharty and Louis Varland, who’s been lights out as a closer with a 0.86 ERA).
The challenge in moving Corbin to the bullpen is Simeon Woods Richardson has thrown seven scoreless innings in long relief since being picked up from the Minnesota Twins.
RHP Yimi Garcia has resumed throwing, as well, and is near a rehab assignment, working his way back from elbow surgery, and could be back in the bullpen in the very near future.
Scherzer was placed on the 15-day IL on June 17. He won’t be out long. Now with Bieber coming back tomorrow, that means decisions are going to have to be made, but it’s a good place for them to be in.
BEST BETS
Houston Astros (37-42, 17-21 away) at Toronto Blue Jays (38-39, 21-18 home), 7:07 p.m. EST, Rogers Centre, Toronto.
Dylan Cease (4-3, 2.71 ERA) versus Hunter Brown (1-0, 1.10 ERA).
In MLB betting at Betway, the Jays are betting favorites at -130, the Astros +110. The runline is Jays -1.5 (+150), and the Astros +1.5 (-200). Total is 7.5 (Over +105, Under -125).
Dylan Cease Over Strikeouts
I’ve hit on this on multiple occasions with Cease this season, where he ranks third in MLB with 110 strikeouts – and that includes missing a few weeks due to a mild hamstring strain.
Betway has Cease to record 6+ strikeouts at -275 and 8+ strikeouts at +140. Looking for some plus money, I’m leaning toward the 8+ strikeouts prop.
The Astros have some disciplined hitters through, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez, who don’t strike out a lot. Cease will have to go deeper into the game to over six SOs.
Blue Jays Moneyline
Both teams are in the think of it in the American League wildcard race, with the Jays currently taking one of the spots, and the Astros two games out.
I am leaning Toronto tonight, with their best pitcher on the mound, being at home where they are over .500, and the day’s rest.
I like Cease for five or six innings, then that strong Jays bullpen to shut it down.
First Five Innings Under 2.5
For bettors chasing plus money, Betway has the First 5 Innings Under 2.5 runs at +175, a number that stands out in what projects as a pitching duel.
Brown is a very good pitcher (third in American League Cy Young voting in 2025), with a fastball in the upper 90s, and is coming off a solid start – a 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on June 16, where he went 5.2 IP, giving up a run and three hits, with 7 SOs.
Brown suffered a shoulder strain in April, after he opened 2026 with an 0.84 ERA through two starts, including a nine strikeout Opening Day start against the L.A. Angels, and that Tigers start was his first appearance after coming back from the injury.
