Philly comes in 36-30, winners of 4 of 5, and just rolled Toronto 5-2 on Monday behind a Cristopher Sanchez gem. The Jays are 32-35, treading water under .500, and their rotation has been held together with duct tape — Berrios is out for the year after Tommy John, Bieber is rehabbing, and Scherzer is penciled in for Wednesday. Getting Cease back, even a rusty version, is genuinely the biggest thing happening in their season this week.
The line tells you exactly what the market thinks of this spot: Phillies -115, Jays +104, with Toronto getting +1.5 at -170. Pinnacle has the total at 7.5. Translation — books expect Wheeler to do Wheeler things and Cease to give up some early traffic before settling in. The Over is the side that gets interesting only if Cease's command isn't there in the first 3 innings.
- Day-To-DayCarson DeMartini (SS)
- Day-To-DayRene Pinto (C) — Pinto (undisclosed) began a rehab assignment Monday, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayDaniel Robert (RP) — Robert suffered a cardiac incident Sunday while preparing to throw a bullpen session and was taken to a local hospital, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayMark Kolozsvary (C) — Kolozsvary (undisclosed) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILKyle Backhus (RP) — Backhus (elbow) played catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.05/14
- suspensionJohan Rojas (CF) — Rojas (shoulder) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against Atlanta, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayDaulton Varsho (CF) — Varsho (wrist) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.06/08
- Day-To-DayGeovanny Jesus Planchart (C) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayChay Yeager (RP) — Yeager will undergo season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayCJ Stubbs (C) — The Blue Jays signed Stubbs to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.05/08
- Day-To-DayJaven Coleman (P) — no05/08
- 10-Day-ILAddison Barger (RF) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Barger (elbow) is "making progress" while continuing to ramp up his hitting at the team's complex in Florida, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/08
- 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa (2B) — Sosa went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI on Saturday against the Twins in an 11-4 victory.05/28
- 15-Day-ILDylan Cease (SP) — Cease (hamstring) will rejoin the Blue Jays' rotation Tuesday with a start against the Phillies, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.06/08
- 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer (SP) — Scherzer (forearm) threw a bullpen session Sunday and expressed confidence that he would be available to pitch against the Phillies on Wednesday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.06/07
- developmental listFernando Perez (P)
- 60-Day-ILAlejandro Kirk (C) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Kirk (thumb) could be available to return from the 60-day injured list as soon as Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.06/08
- 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Garcia's (elbow) next rehab outing will be Saturday with Single-A Dunedin, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
- 60-Day-ILJoe Mantiply (RP) — Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair some damage in his left knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
- 60-Day-ILLazaro Estrada (RP) — Estrada (shoulder) yielded one run on three walks over 2.1 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.06/03
- 60-Day-ILShane Bieber (SP) — Bieber (elbow) struck out two batters and was charged with five earned runs on six hits and no walks across 2.1 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A Dunedin.06/01
- 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.05/27
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Toronto transferred Santander (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Ponce underwent surgery Friday to repair the ACL in his right knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
One thing to track late: Toronto's bullpen has been carrying real water with Garcia, Mantiply, and Estrada all on the 60-day. If Cease is on a pitch count — and he almost certainly is coming off the IL — the Jays may be asking their relievers to navigate the heart of a Phillies order that has scored 28 runs over its last 4 wins. That's a heavy ask on a Tuesday.
Give me Wheeler and the run line, but the smarter ticket is probably the Phillies team total over. Either way, Toronto needs Cease to look like himself or this series gets ugly in a hurry.