The Toronto Blue Jays are laying out their second-half plan, and Spencer Miles is officially part of the starting rotation coming out of the break.
John Schneider told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi in Philadelphia that the club has tentatively lined up Miles, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Dylan Cease and Kevin Gausman to start in that order.
That means Miles, Bieber and Yesavage take on the Chicago White Sox this weekend, while Cease and Gausman open the four-game set against Tampa Bay.
Miles has earned this. He's posted a 2.85 ERA with 57 strikeouts over 60 innings this season, working in a swing role that's produced results all year.
He last pitched Saturday against San Diego, tossing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in an 8-7 loss, and started against San Francisco on July 7, battling through four innings of two-run ball.
Bieber's spot in that order is the one drawing the most attention. His ERA sits at 7.64 across just 17.2 innings, numbers that make this rotation slot anything but settled.
Cease gets extra rest after starting the All-Star Game itself, striking out three batters on 25 pitches in a scoreless first inning against Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto and CJ Abrams.
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Yesavage brings a 3.72 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 75 innings into his next start, still building his own rookie case despite a rough outing before the break.
Gausman rounds out the group at 4.41 ERA over 112 and one third innings, numbers that have fueled real trade speculation around his name this summer.
Toronto plays both Chicago and Tampa Bay at home before a six-game road trip through Boston and Washington, then returns for a weekend series against St. Louis right before the August 3 deadline.
It's a stretch that reads like a final exam before the front office has to turn in its answer on buying or selling.
Toronto returns from the break at 45-51, fifth in the American League East, but only 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot.
Does Miles' inclusion in this rotation signal real confidence in him long term, or is it simply the best option available while Toronto sorts out its other options down the stretch?
Should Shane Bieber keep his rotation spot given his 7.64 ERA this season?
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