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Inside The Blue Jays

Blue Jays Lineup: Forced To Shake Starters Up After Brutal Blowout in Series Opener

It was not a fun time for the Blue Jays Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, and they need to bounce back.
Maddy Dickens|
Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) hits a sacrifice fly ball to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning
Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) hits a sacrifice fly ball to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Toronto Blue Jays

Going into Friday's opener between the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, it felt like the Jays had all of the momentum in the world. Toronto had just completed the sweep against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, and with Kevin Gausman on the hill, they were looking to win four straight.

Instead, Gausman had the worst first inning of his career, and the Blue Jays were down a touchdown before the second inning came around. The Cubs never looked back, and the score was an eye sore to say the least, and one not worth repeating.

Now, Toronto is back to a pair of games under .500 and seeking redemption after that poor display on Friday. They can still take the series and go home on a high note, so they will be turning to a little different lineup Saturday afternoon, with Patrick Corbin taking the hill.

Luckily, they are welcoming back not one, but two from the lengthy injured list as both reliever Lazaro Estrada is headed back to the bullpen, and Daulton Varsho will be back commanding the defense in center field.

So, a few roster moves came out before the first pitch Saturday afternoon:


🔹 OF Daulton Varsho reinstated from 10-day IL and will be active today
🔹 INF Charles McAdoo optioned to Triple-A
🔹 RHP Lazaro Estrada reinstated from 60-day IL and will be active today
🔹 LHP Brendon Little optioned to Triple-A

Starting Lineup for Game 2 at Wrigley

George Springer hits a baseball in a grey Toronto jerse
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) hits a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

While there was a lot of negative surrounding the opener, there was a little to get excited about, and that is with the team's designated hitter, George Springer. Springer hit his third long ball of the past week, and it sure is good to see him doing Springer things again, as his power has been severely missed this season.

  1. DH George Springer
  2. RF Nathan Lukes
  3. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  4. C Brandon Valenzuela
  5. 3B Kazuma Okamoto
  6. CF Daulton Varsho
  7. 2B Davis Schneider
  8. SS Andrés Giménez
  9. LF Myles Straw
Ernie Clement hits a baseball in a blue Blue Jays jerse
Blue Jays short stop Ernie Clement (22) hits a single in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. | Gerry Angus-Imagn Images

While the news of both Estrada and Varsho is sure to be refreshing to hear, concern continues to rise for Ernie Clement, who is now missing his second straight game as he battles soreness in his left hip. Hopefully, a few days off is all he needs.

At the end of the day, no matter how brutal the loss, it is still only logged as one, luckily. So, the Blue Jays have the opportunity to show some fight and split this series going into Sunday.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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