Yohendrick Piñango is back batting second for John Schneider as the Blue Jays open Detroit with rookie Trey Yesavage on the mound.
Toronto's lineup for Friday night keeps the same basic shape it used in the Rays finale, but this one carries a different kind of pressure. The Blue Jays enter Comerica Park at 19-24, while the Tigers come in at 19-25.
George Springer leads off as the designated hitter, Piñango stays in left field in the 2-hole, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains in the middle at first base. Kazuma Okamoto bats cleanup again at third.
That top 4 says plenty about what Schneider wants. He is sticking with traffic in front of Guerrero and trusting Piñango to keep earning one of the lineup card's biggest spots.
Daulton Varsho hits fifth in center, Jesús Sánchez is in right field batting sixth, and Ernie Clement starts at second base in the 7 spot. Andrés Giménez is at shortstop, with Brandon Valenzuela catching and hitting ninth.
Valenzuela's place matters, too. Toronto has kept leaning into the rookie catcher lately, and Friday's lineup shows Schneider is still riding that energy instead of backing off to a safer veteran shape.
Yesavage is the other name that gives this lineup some edge. The rookie right-hander gets the start with a 1-1 record, a 0.68 ERA, and 15 strikeouts, while Detroit counters with Brenan Hanifee.
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Toronto is asking its young pieces to matter right away
That is the real feel of this card. Piñango is not being hidden near the bottom, and Yesavage is not being eased into a soft role. Schneider is asking both young players to help carry a road opener.
Piñango staying second is the clearest signal of all. The Blue Jays could have dropped him lower for a tougher matchup on the road, but instead they kept him right between Springer and Guerrero.
That also gives Toronto a cleaner offensive path. If Springer gets on base, Piñango can move the game fast before Guerrero and Okamoto get their chances to do damage.
Varsho hitting fifth keeps another left-handed bat in the middle, and Sánchez batting sixth gives the Blue Jays a little more carry deeper into the order. Toronto does not look like a club trying to survive this one quietly.
The Yesavage piece may decide everything. Toronto has been juggling rotation questions for days, so handing the opener to a rookie on the road tells you the Blue Jays believe his stuff can hold up in a meaningful spot.
For Schneider, this lineup is simple in the best way. He kept Piñango high, left Guerrero in the center of it, trusted Valenzuela behind the plate, and gave Yesavage the ball. On a night when Toronto needs a clean start to the Tigers series, that is the group he wants leading the way.
Do you like John Schneider keeping Yohendrick Piñango in the No. 2 spot against Detroit?
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