Blue Jays-Mets Surprise: Guerrero Jr. Scratched, Kevin Gausman Eyes Bounce-Back
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The Toronto Blue Jays snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over former Blue Jay Bo Bichette and his new team, the New York Mets, on Monday night. However, the losing skid pushed Toronto much further back than it wanted in the AL East and AL Wild Card standings.
Currently, the Blue Jays are 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot, and with the first half of the season nearing an end, the best way for the Blue Jays to end the month is with a victory. Manager John Schneider hands the ball over to his ace veteran, Kevin Gausman, looking to get the job done.
Kevin Gausman In Need of Bounce Back
Gausman has endured his worst month of the 2026 campaign and it came when the Blue Jays needed him most. Before his start against the Mets on Tuesday night, Gausman enters with a 7.62 ERA in the month of June, primarily due to his back-to-back rough outings.
In his last two starts, Gausman has allowed 13 runs to come across in eight innings of work, punching out seven hitters along the way. Those starts have bloated his season ERA from 3.41 against the New York Yankees three starts ago to 4.36 entering the game against the Yankees' cross-town rivals.
Gausman has been spectacular for the Blue Jays in the past, and it's shown in how well the franchise has performed. 2026 has just been filled with ups and downs, but the best way to go into July with their heads held high is by taking the series against New York with a dominant performance from Gausman.
Starting Lineup vs Nolan McLean, Mets
The Blue Jays made a last-minute adjustment to the lineup, as reported by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, by scratching first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This rearranged the infield to have Sean Keys move to first, Ernie Clement to third, and then Luis Urias added at second.
The reason for Guerrero Jr.’s scratch was unknown at publishing time.
Here's how the Blue Jays will take the field against the Mets, with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 PM EST.
1. DH George Springer
2. RF Nathan Lukes
3. 1B Sean Keys
4. 3B Ernie Clement
5. C Alejandro Kirk
6. CF Daulton Varsho
7. 2B Luis Urias
8. LF Yohendrick Pinango
9. SS Andres Gimenez
The Blue Jays' offense only scored two runs in the series opener against the Mets and will likely need more, if any ounce of Gausman from two starts in a row shows up. Kazuma Okamoto gets the day off, allowing the rookie Sean Keys to further impress Blue Jays fans at home.
Not one batter in the Toronto starting lineup has faced McLean yet in their MLB careers, meaning things could go north or very south depending on how things unfold.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.