TORONTO – It was feast or famine for the Toronto Blue Jays on their recent road trip that included a record-breaking beatdown of the Colorado Rockies and a series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The primary-place team is back home for a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs starting Tuesday night at Rogers Centre ahead of a three-game weekend set against the Texas Rangers.
Toronto leads the American League standings at 69-50 and has a four-game lead on the Boston Red Sox entering play Monday night.
Here’s a have a look at five Blue Jays storylines to observe with about one-quarter of the season remaining:
BIEBER FEVER
The resurgence of veteran right-hander Max Scherzer and the emergence of southpaw Eric Lauer have given Toronto’s starting rotation more stability.
The team’s five-man crew – which also includes Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt – could soon turn out to be a six-man group as Shane Bieber nears a return.
The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, who was acquired from Cleveland on the trade deadline, has impressed in his Triple-A rehab appearances.
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Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery last 12 months. He has a profession record of 62-32 with a 3.22 earned-run average over parts of seven big-league seasons.
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OFFENCE CLICKING
Toronto leads the key leagues in several offensive categories thanks partially to back-to-back-to-back routs of the Rockies last week.
The Blue Jays set a modern-era big-league record with a whopping 63 hits over the three games in Colorado. Toronto also set a franchise record with 45 runs scored.
After dropping two of three games in Los Angeles over the weekend, the Blue Jays still lead the large leagues in hits (1,099), batting average (.269) and on-base percentage (.339). Toronto can be third in OPS (.767).
TOUGH DECISIONS
The Blue Jays can have some tough decisions to make this month as some big-name players get set to return to the lineup.
Second baseman Andres Gimenez will soon be activated after spending five weeks on the injured list with a left ankle sprain.
Outfielder/designated hitter George Springer, who has been out for 2 weeks attributable to a concussion, could also soon return.
Recent call-up Buddy Kennedy is the almost certainly player to be sent down. A second roster move is predicted to be a much tougher call, given it can likely involve a player who sees more regular playing time.
ARMS RACE
A few hard-throwing right-handers could make their mark on the big-league level for the Blue Jays over the approaching weeks.
Alek Manoah has impressed in his minor-league starts as he continues to accumulate after undergoing elbow surgery last 12 months.
Manoah finished third in Cy Young Award voting in 2022 and is 29-20 with a 3.34 ERA over 75 profession starts for the Blue Jays.
Normally a starter, top pitching prospect Trey Yesavage threw in relief for Double-A Recent Hampshire last week for the primary time since being drafted last 12 months in the primary round.
He had nine strikeouts over five innings.
STRETCH DRIVE
A playoff berth appears to be a slam dunk for Canada’s lone big-league baseball team.
Entering Monday’s games, Toronto has a 98.3-per-cent likelihood of qualifying for the post-season, per FanGraphs projections.
The web site lists the Blue Jays at 78.1 per cent to win the East Division and at 65.8 per cent to earn a first-round bye to the division series.
After this homestand, Toronto visits the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins before returning to Rogers Centre to play the Minnesota Twins and MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press