Blue Jays Turn to Max Scherzer and These Hitters Hoping to Secure Series
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It truly has been entertaining to watch the competitive battle that has been going on at Rogers Centre between the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies took the first game on Monday, but the Jays walked it off to even things up.
Now, Toronto is welcoming back another arm to the starting rotation as Max Scherzer is set to take the mound Wednesday evening to steal another series and get the Jays back within one game of .500, a barrier that the team has been unable to cross.
With the return of Scherzer, the organization had to make a corresponding move to make room for him on the roster, which means Connor Seabold was forced out of the clubhouse. Not entirely shocking, as his inconsistencies have been somewhat painful to watch.
ROSTER MOVES:
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 10, 2026
🔹 RHP Max Scherzer reinstated from the 15-day IL and will start tonight's game
🔹 RHP Connor Seabold designated for assignment pic.twitter.com/SF2j12p9oT
Seabold might have a not-so-grimacing 4.46 ERA on the year, but in his last seven games, that is nearly doubled, low-lighted by a 2.40 WHIP, which led to the organization designating him for assignment.
Wednesday night likely won't be quite the pitching battle that was seen in the first two games, as Scherzer is set to duel with Jesús Luzardo. However, both of their ERA's are a little misleading, so it is hard to know for sure.
If this one does start to get away from Scherzer a bit, then the offense will need to step up, and they will be looking at these guys to start things off.
Starting Line Up For Series Finale Wednesday
In Tuesday's walk-off victory, led by a career night from Dylan Cease, the hitting order was quite different, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading things off, Charles McAdoo playing first at the bottom, and both Kazuma Okamoto and Ernie Clement up in the order.
Apparently, a mix-up was exactly what this team needed, as they now sit in a playoff spot after the victory. Wednesday night is also a little different, as this team is still figuring out what works best for them as their top hitters continue to struggle, like Vlad and George Springer.
- DH George Springer
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero JR
- SS Ernie Clement
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- LF Yohendrick Pinango
- C Brandon Valenzuela
- 2B Charles McAdoo
- CF Myles Straw
- RF Nathan Lukes
However, with a lefty on the mound Wednesday, there is no Andres Gimenez, so McAdoo will get back-to-back starts; this time at second as Clement slides over to short. There is still no Daulton Varsho, who is dealing with inflammation in his wrist, but he has been seen as a defensive sub as well as a pinch runner, so it seems unlikely that an IL stint is coming.
It is going to be tough to beat the Phillies in this final game, but the Blue Jays finally have some momentum in their favor, and that is ever-so important going into Thursday when a division matchup with the New York Yankees kicks off.
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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.