Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano will start the first two games against the Athletics.

Cease takes the ball Monday, still the one true certainty in Toronto's rotation all season.

Oakland hasn't named a starter for that opener yet.

Soriano follows Tuesday, also facing a still-unannounced Athletics starter.

Wednesday's finale remains completely open on both sides, with neither team confirming a pitcher for that game yet.

That's a lot of TBAs for a series this late in the season, though Toronto's own uncertainty traces directly to its rotation situation.

Jameson Taillon just went back on the IL with elbow inflammation, and Shane Bieber remains weeks away, leaving very few settled options beyond Cease and Soriano.

Why Wednesday's opener matters most for Toronto

Cease has been the one anchor in this rotation all year, giving Toronto length and swing-and-miss stuff nearly every turn through the order.

Soriano has settled in well since arriving from the Angels at the deadline, becoming a legitimate top-of-rotation arm in a short window.

Wednesday's completely open matchup likely points toward another bullpen game for Toronto, a pattern that's repeated constantly this season.

The Athletics currently sit well out of playoff contention, making this a lower-pressure series for Toronto to lean on unproven or improvised pitching plans.

Still, every win matters with Toronto sitting right in the thick of the wild-card race.

Whether Wednesday's starter gets named as a traditional pitcher or another bulk-innings arrangement should become clearer as the series approaches.

Every series moving forward is a crucial one for Toronto as they need as many wins as possible if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.