The Blue Jays and Orioles are set to square off for the first time since mid-April, and it may be an understatement to say that things look very different since that series.

Winners in eight of their last ten games, Toronto enters this week’s tilt leading the majors with a 63-43 record. Baltimore, on the other hand, is in the midst of a forgettable season, currently holding a 47-58 record, which is last in the AL East and 13th in the American League.

Baltimore’s squad may look different at the end of this series than it did in the beginning; multiple players on expiring deals, such as Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn, are expected to be moved ahead of this Thursday’s trade deadline. The same could also be said for the Blue Jays; however, they are in a position to buy this week, but we’ll leave all of that to speculation for the time being.

With the Blue Jays looking to stay atop the league, they’ll send Chris Bassitt to the mound tonight to make his 22nd start of the season. During the 2025 campaign, Bassitt has posted an 11-4 record, 3.88 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and an 8.7 K/9. His 11 wins are tied for third in the majors, and he’s five off of his career high.

In his third and final year of his current contract, Bassitt has built up a solid log of games against Baltimore, which hasn’t treated him very well more often than not. Since joining the Blue Jays, Bassitt has posted a 2-3 record with a 6.92 ERA and 31 strikeouts in five starts against the Orioles. He faced them during Opening Weekend, tossing six innings of one-run ball with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is hitting .400 with a pair of home runs and 5 RBIs in his career against Bassitt, and O’Hearn has also thrived against the veteran righty with seven hits in 13 at-bats.

Earlier today, the Orioles activated catcher Adley Rutschman from the 10-day IL. Rutschman missed the previous five and a half weeks due to an oblique strain, and he’s hoping to get his season back on track after posting a .691 OPS and 96 OPS+ through his first 68 games. Facing the Blue Jays may be the best remedy for him, though; the 27-year-old switch-hitter has a career .321/.399/.594 slash line with 13 homers, 34 RBIs, and 12 doubles against the Jays for his career.

The Orioles will counter with another veteran right-hander in Zach Eflin, who has missed almost two months of the season with right lat and lower back injuries. Eflin made his first start of the second half of the season last Wednesday, hurling five innings of two-run ball against the Guardians. On the season, Eflin owns a 6-5 record with a 5.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 6.3 K/9, serving as a near 180 from how he ended last season in Baltimore.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has given Eflin the most fits from the Blue Jays lineup, posting a 7-for-21 line against him with two home runs and four RBIs in his career. Eflin is also the pitcher who allowed Addison Barger’s first career home run, a hit that took place a year ago tomorrow.

The Blue Jays have five lefties in the batting order tonight, including third baseman Will Wagner, who was reinstated from the restricted list a short while ago. Tyler Heineman will be catching for the fourth time in five days in the absence of Alejandro Kirk, who was placed on the 7-day concussion IL this past weekend.

Although past numbers against Eflin haven’t been kind to Bo Bichette, he’s hitting .353/.397/.603 in 16 games batting in the cleanup spot, and he gets another go at it tonight.

Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore, Maryland

First Pitch: 6:35 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Toronto Blue Jays – Chris Bassitt: 11-4 record, 3.88 ERA, 120 2/3 IP, 117 SO, 29 BB

Baltimore Orioles – Zach Eflin: 6-5 record, 5.78 ERA, 67 IP, 47 SO, 12 BB