Dylan Cease starts for John Schneider tonight after the rainout pushed the Blue Jays' rotation back by 1 day.
Toronto's game at Wrigley Field on Sunday was postponed by forecasted bad weather, and MLB set the makeup for Thursday, August 6. That gave the Blue Jays a needed pause, but it also changed the next few days on the mound.
The new order is straightforward. Cease gets Houston on Monday, Shane Bieber lines up for Tuesday, and Trey Yesavage stays in place for Wednesday if the club keeps everyone on turn. MLB's probable pitchers page already lists Cease for tonight against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown.
That is no surprise. When a team loses a game to weather and does not need a doubleheader the next day, the cleanest move is usually to push the whole rotation back. That is exactly what Toronto did here. This is an inference based on the updated probable-pitcher listing after the postponement.
For the Blue Jays, the timing works. The bullpen had been carrying a heavy load, so the extra day off helps Schneider more than it hurts him right now. This is an inference based on the rainout creating a full off-day before the Astros series.
It also puts the ball in Cease's hand in a big spot. Toronto enters Monday at 38-39, while Houston is 37-42, so this is not just another game at the start of a week. It is the opener of a series between 2 clubs still trying to stabilize their seasons.
Toronto's reset gave Cease the opener it wanted
Cease has earned that assignment. MLB's probable pitchers page lists him at 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA and 110 strikeouts, which gives Toronto its best current chance to set the tone right away.
Brown makes the matchup tougher. Houston counters with a right-hander carrying a 1.10 ERA, so the Blue Jays are not walking into an easy opener even with their own ace-type arm on the mound.
That is why the rainout shuffle matters. Cease tonight, Bieber tomorrow, and Yesavage on Wednesday gives Schneider a cleaner pitching map than he would have had if the Cubs game forced extra bullpen coverage. This is an inference based on the postponement and updated order.
Bieber's spot on Tuesday is worth watching too. MLB's preview page for the next Astros game still had Toronto listed as TBD earlier today, but recent reporting has pointed to Bieber rejoining the club for this stretch.
For now, the headline is simple. The rainout changed the calendar, not the plan. Cease gets the ball tonight, and the Blue Jays will try to turn one weather delay into a better start to the Astros series.
Do you like the Blue Jays pushing Dylan Cease back to start tonight against Houston?
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