Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Extends hit streak to 13 games
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Yankees.
Kiner-Falefa singled and scored in the first inning and added another base hit in the fifth. He smacked an RBI single and scored in the sixth frame and then finished his huge day by doubling and scoring again in the eighth. The 29-year-old has put together a 13-game hit streak and seen his season average climb from .263 to .296. He also has seven home runs, 33 RBI, 32 runs scored and three steals over 277 plate appearances in what has been a surprisingly productive 2024.
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Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Continues hot streak in win
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Guerrero went 3-for-5 with a home run and six RBI in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Yankees.
Guerrero opened the scoring with a two-run home run off Nestor Cortes in the first inning. He added a three-run double in the eighth and an RBI single in the eighth to finish the day with a whopping six RBI. The first baseman is scorching, having homered in three straight with six consecutive multi-hit efforts. Over those six games, he has driven in a ridiculous 19 runs and is now batting .296 with 13 home runs, 50 RBI and 40 runs scored in 2024.
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Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt: Strikes out eight in win
Rotowire
Bassitt (7-6) earned the win over the Yankees on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings.
Bassitt fired five scoreless innings before Anthony Volpe reached on an error in the sixth and came around to score on a single by Aaron Judge. Bassitt has now logged three consecutive quality starts and has not allowed more than three earned runs in an outing since April 26. The 35-year-old has lowered his ERA over two full runs since the conclusion of April and now owns a 3.24 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 91:37 K:BB over 97.1 innings this season. He lines up for a home matchup with the Astros next week.
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Blue Jays' Jordan Romano: Shut down from throwing again
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Romano was shut down from throwing after experiencing discomfort in his right elbow Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
It's the second time Romano has been shut down from throwing since he landed on the injured list June 1. Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Romano will get an evaluation on his right elbow July 2, which should give clarity on the next steps for the 31-year-old closer, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. Prior to his injury, Romano registered eight saves with a 6.59 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 13.2 innings this season.
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Blue Jays' Danny Jansen: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Jansen is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Jansen went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees. The 29-year-old catcher could be headed for the paternity list based on Brian Serven being in the Blue Jays' clubhouse on the taxi squad, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Alejandro Kirk will start behind home plate Saturday and bat seventh against Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Sitting vs. lefty
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Varsho is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
With the Yankees sending left-hander Nestor Cortes to the mound Saturday, Varsho will retreat to the bench. Varsho returned to the starting lineup Thursday after sitting the three games prior due to a back injury, and he's gone 0-for-8 with five strikeouts over his last two starts. Kevin Kiermaier will start in center field Saturday and bat ninth.
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Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz: Idle vs. southpaw Saturday
Rotowire
Horwitz is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Horwitz will begin Saturday's game in the dugout with the Yankees sending southpaw Nestor Cortes to the mound. Horwitz went 1-for-4 in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees, and for the season he's slashing .340/.484/.500 with two home runs and six RBI over 64 plate appearances. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will start at second base Saturday and bat second.
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Blue Jays' George Springer: In lineup Saturday after HBP
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Springer (hand) is starting in right field and batting fifth for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Springer left in the seventh inning of Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees after taking a fastball of his left hand in the bottom of the fifth. Springer is hitting .207 for the season, but over his last five games he's gone 8-for-19 with three home runs and 10 RBI. He'll face off against Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes on Saturday.
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Blue Jays' Tim Mayza: DFA'd by Jays
Rotowire
The Blue Jays designated Mayza for assignment Saturday.
Mayza allowed five runs to score without recording an out during Friday's loss to the Yankees, inflating his ERA to 8.03 through 24.2 innings -- a far cry from his 1.52 ERA last season. The 32-year-old southpaw's drastic regression has now cost him his spot on the Jays' 40-man roster, though he could still receive some attention on the waiver wire from bullpen-needy teams hoping to unlock Mayza's previous form. Jose Cuas was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to fill the open spot in Toronto's bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Jose Cuas: Up from Triple-A
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The Blue Jays recalled Cuas from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.
The Jays claimed Cuas off waivers from the Cubs on Sunday, and he'll now join the big-league club to give the team a fresh arm in its bullpen. The 30-year-old owns a 7.43 ERA and 1.65 WHIP through 13.1 innings in the majors this season, and he allowed two runs in just two-thirds of an inning during his most recent Triple-A outing, so it's unlikely he receives much more than mop-up duty while with Toronto. Tim Mayza was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Power surge continues Friday
Rotowire
Guerrero went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees.
His solo shot off Luke Weaver in the seventh inning wrapped up the scoring for the Blue Jays on the night and made the score 7-5, but the Toronto bullpen imploded late. Guerrero has multiple hits in five straight games and six of the last seven, batting .406 (13-for-32) over that latter stretch with four doubles, five homers, eight runs and 14 RBI.
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Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Hit streak at 12 games
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Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees.
The infielder took Michael Tonkin deep in the sixth inning, giving Kiner-Falefa his seventh long ball of the season, one off his career high. He's also hit safely in 12 straight games, batting a blistering .395 (17-for-43) over that stretch with three homers, six RBI and 10 runs.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Fans seven in Friday's loss
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Kikuchi (4-8) took the loss Friday as the Blue Jays were routed 16-5 by the Yankees, giving up four runs on four hits and a walk over five-plus innings. He struck out seven.
The southpaw was sharp to begin the game and actually took a 3-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning, but after allowing two straight singles to open the frame, Juan Soto flipped the script with a three-run blast that chased Kikuchi from the game. Kikuchi has been tagged for 13 runs in only 11 innings over his last three starts, inflating his ERA to 4.18 with a 1.31 WHIP and 93:21 K:BB through 88.1 innings. He'll look to turn things around in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Astros.
Springer was removed from Friday's game against the Yankees due to a left hand contusion.
Springer took a 93-mph fastball off his hand/wrist during the fifth inning. He remained in the game to run the bases and play defense, but he was eventually pinch hit for by Davis Schneider in the seventh frame. Precautionary imaging on Springer's hand came back negative for a fracture, and his ability to remain in the game immediately following the incident is a good sign he'll be available for Saturday's contest.
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Blue Jays' Davis Schneider: Exits starting nine
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Schneider is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees.
Spencer Horwitz will handle second base and Addison Barger will be in left field for the Blue Jays. Schneider is slashing just .171/.229/.316 in June.
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Blue Jays' Justin Turner: Productive in rout
Rotowire
Turner went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Yankees.
The hit was a fluky one -- he squibbed a ball down the first-base line and it caromed off the bag and away from Ben Rice rather than rolling foul -- but Turner still put together a productive night in a 9-2 rout. The veteran slugger has found a groove at the plate, going 10-for-25 (.400) over the last eight games with a double, a homer, four RBI, seven runs and an 8:6 BB:K. Despite the surge, Turner's .715 OPS on the season would be his lowest mark since 2013.
