Mason Fluharty gets the ball for John Schneider tonight, with Toronto turning to a bullpen arm against Atlanta.
The matchup is now lined up as Fluharty against Chris Sale at Truist Park, with first pitch set for 7:15 p.m. EDT. Atlanta enters at 42-20, while Toronto comes in at 29-33.
That is the headline, but not the full story. Fluharty is working as an opener Thursday, not a standard starter expected to wear down the middle innings.
The usage tells you why. Fluharty has not recorded more than 4 outs in any of his 32 appearances this season, and this will be his 3rd start.
So Schneider is not handing this game to a stretched-out rotation arm. He is buying an opening inning or 2 from a lefty who has already been one of the busiest relievers on the staff.
Fluharty has earned the look on performance. He owns a 3.97 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 22.2 innings, and he has kept himself in the trust lane even while bouncing between matchup work and opener duty.
The recent stretch is even better. Over his last 15 games, he has posted a 0.84 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 10.2 innings.
-
This is a bullpen plan, not a rotation fix
Toronto is doing this because the rotation still is not whole. José Berrios is on the 60-day injured list after Tommy John surgery, and Dylan Cease is on the 15-day injured list with a mild left hamstring strain.
That leaves the Blue Jays patching innings instead of lining up a clean 5-man turn. On a 4-game losing streak, they also do not have much room for a short night from the mound.
The next question is who follows Fluharty. Chad Dallas is on the taxi squad in Atlanta and could make his major league debut, while Simeon Woods Richardson also looms as a bulk option after Toronto brought him back from Minnesota.
Dallas brings starter usage from Buffalo, where he has a 4.50 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 36.0 innings over 10 outings. That profile fits the kind of bridge Toronto may need behind an opener.
The hard part is the opponent. Sale carries an 8-3 record, a 2.01 ERA and 80 strikeouts, so Schneider is asking his club to survive the front end while the Braves send out a real ace.
Still, this is where Toronto is right now. Mason Fluharty is not just filling a bullpen lane tonight. He is carrying the first piece of a game the Blue Jays need to steady.
Should Mason Fluharty stay in Toronto's mix for future starts?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
The clock appears to be running out on Jeff Hoffman's time in Toronto - and nobody should be surprised
