John Schneider is still searching for the right combination, moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. up to the second spot tonight after three straight games batting third.
Nathan Lukes leads off, followed by Guerrero, Ernie Clement and George Springer rounding out the top of the order.
Last night it was Clement first, Lukes second and Guerrero third. Tonight the same three names occupy the top third of the lineup, just rearranged.
That's the definition of a manager mixing things up amid a brutal slump, hoping a different order sparks something the same three hitters haven't found yet.
Toronto has lost six of its last 10 games, a continuation of a season that's fallen apart since coming two outs away from winning last year's World Series.
The Blue Jays now sit 5.5 games back of Boston for the third AL wild card spot and 11.5 games back of first-place Tampa Bay in the division.
Toronto ranks last among all 30 teams in runs scored at 398, a stunning drop from last year's fourth-place finish with 798 runs.
Why Guerrero's back injury complicates everything
Guerrero is hitting .259/.342/.353 with six home runs and 41 RBIs across 95 games, numbers well below the standard attached to his 14-year, $500 million contract.
He's been playing through a back injury, which may explain plenty of this decline, and he declined to participate in this year's All-Star Game after being voted in as a starter because of it.
Kevin Gausman gets the start tonight for Toronto, carrying a 4-8 record with a 4.33 ERA across 112.1 innings this season.
He'll face Drew Rasmussen, who's been considerably sharper for Tampa Bay, sitting at 7-5 with a 3.26 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 99.1 innings.
It's a bit like rearranging furniture in a house with a cracked foundation, the room might look different, but the underlying issue stays exactly the same.
Does shuffling the top of the order actually spark anything meaningful, or does Toronto's real problem start and end with Guerrero's health and the lineup's overall lack of pop behind him?
Whatever Schneider tries next, the numbers make clear this offense needs more than a new batting order to turn around before this season slips away completely.
Will moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the two-hole actually help the Blue Jays' offense?
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