Blue Jays Welcome Back Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer With Open Arms Against Phillies
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The injured list for the Toronto Blue Jays this season has not been without players since the season commenced, as many key players have been missed for a lengthy period of time. But, finally, they are starting to see some names come off the dreaded list.
There has been no piece of the roster that has been spared, but if one has suffered more than the other, it is the starting rotation. But not just one, but two, are rejoining the team as both Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer are set to start Tuesday and Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
It feels safe to say that Tuesday will be quite the pitching battle between Cease and Zack Wheeler. Cease is going to strike out a lot of guys, but he needs to keep the damage to a minimum as Wheeler is going to be a handful for the Jays' offense with a 2.31 ERA while holding the batting average under .175.
Dylan Cease will start tomorrow and Max Scherzer will start Wednesday (pardon me, I've lost all control of the calendar and the order of days)
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 8, 2026
The #BlueJays have a five-man rotation.
Scherzer, on the other hand, just needs to be the arm that has been seen throughout his rehab assignments. He was not pitching at full force when he had his big implosions this season, but he has looked solid since getting healthy.
This is not going to be an easy series to win by any means, but having some reinforcements definitely takes a lot of pressure off of everybody else throughout the roster. Up to this point, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Patrick Corbin have been holding the fort down, but having a five-man rotation back will do a lot to bolster this team.
How Much Does This Mean for Toronto
There is a weight lifted off the starting rotation's shoulders knowing that there are starters who can be named to pitch rather than consecutive bullpen games. It makes their starts not feel so do-or-die, but the biggest load off comes for the relievers.
Right now, the Jays' bullpen is on a pace that isn't sustainable, as five players have thrown in at least 30 games: Louis Varland, Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Braydon Fisher, and Mason Fluharty. All high-leverage guys, all needed down the stretch.
The Blue Jays had been scraping by up to this point, but it couldn't keep on much longer. Thankfully, the IL is getting shorter, not longer, and at just the right time. Toronto is right where they need to be without so many, and now the momentum can really get rolling.
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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.