Ernie Clement is out of John Schneider's lineup tonight after waking up with strep throat.
That late scratch matters because Clement had become one of Toronto's steadier infield pieces during a stretch when the Blue Jays have needed every healthy regular they can get.
Hazel Mae reported that Clement told her the illness started yesterday. That explains why he was in Monday's starting lineup against the Yankees, then disappeared from Tuesday's card.
The updated lineup shows George Springer leading off as the designated hitter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. batting second at first base, and Daulton Varsho hitting third in center field. Kazuma Okamoto moves into the cleanup spot. (mlb.com)
Yohendrick Piñango hits fifth in left, Jesús Sánchez bats sixth in right, and Davis Schneider starts at second base in the seventh spot. Andrés Giménez is at shortstop, with Tyler Heineman catching ninth.
That is where Clement's absence shows up most. He had started Monday at shortstop and was one of the cleaner contact bats in the lower half of the order. Toronto now has to reshuffle the infield instead of keeping a look Schneider had trusted the night before.
The timing is rough because this series already carries extra edge. The Blue Jays are in the Bronx for their first matchup with the Yankees since Toronto knocked New York out of last year's playoffs.
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Toronto loses a useful bat before Dylan Cease takes the mound
Clement's absence also puts a little more pressure on the hitters above him. Toronto is 21-26, while the Yankees come in at 29-19, so there is not much room for a flat offensive night.
Dylan Cease gets the ball for Toronto in Game 2, carrying a 3-1 record, a 2.41 ERA, and 75 strikeouts into the start. New York counters with Will Warren, who is 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA.
That means the Blue Jays still have their best shot on the mound, even if the lineup took a hit before first pitch. Cease can steady a game fast, but Toronto still needs enough offense behind him to make the Yankees work.
Clement is not the kind of name that usually drives a headline on his own. But he is the type of player a club notices when he is missing, because he fills innings, at-bats, and infield spots without much fuss.
Tuesday turned that quiet value into a real issue. Ernie Clement is down with strep throat, the Blue Jays had to adjust on the fly, and Schneider now has to chase a road win in New York without one of his more reliable everyday pieces.
Will the Blue Jays miss Ernie Clement more than people expect tonight?
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