With the Blue Jays in control of their destiny in pursuit of their first division crown since 2015, every game from here on out will have some level of excitement to them. Tonight, however, will feature a little bit of added intrigue, as their top prospect, Trey Yesavage, will make his major league debut against the Rays.

Fans and media have been teased with the idea of Yesavage making his debut at some point this season, whether it be in the form of a starter or reliever. Now, they finally have their answer.

Yesavage was drafted 20th overall in last year’s draft out of East Carolina University, where he posted elite strikeout numbers and a 19-2 record across three seasons. He made his professional debut this season and had a relatively expedited trip through Toronto’s system, with eight appearances in Double-A New Hampshire being the most outings he posted at a single level.

Most recently, Yesavage made four starts and two relief outings with triple-A Buffalo, pitching to a 3.63 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, and 5.7 BB/9. Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, John Schneider has confirmed that Yesavage won’t have any workload limits; however, he threw only 34 pitches during his last start in Buffalo, and his highest pitch counts of 84 and 83 in triple-A were on August 21st and August 27th, respectively.

Yesavage will look to assist the team in doing something they haven’t done this season: win a game at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Rays. The Blue Jays were swept by the Rays during a road tilt back in late May, with Tampa outscoring them 19-2 and out-hitting them 26-14. The Rays are 38-36 at home this season, and not only is the record fairly even, their runs per game aren’t too far apart at home versus on the road (4.63 vs. 4.32).

The Rays will be without their All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who has been on the Injured List since August 1st with a left wrist fracture. Although he is progressing well, Aranda just started throwing and hitting off a tee last week, making it highly unlikely he will play in this series.

In his absence, the Rays will be leaning heavily on two of their best hitters in Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz. Both were solid last week, with Caminero hitting three home runs and three doubles in his last 29 at-bats, and Díaz logging a pair of home runs in his last 24 at-bats.

Tampa Bay called up righty Joe Boyle earlier today to make the start against Toronto tonight. Boyle, who was traded from the Athletics to the Rays this past offseason, has never faced the Blue Jays in his career and has only faced Andrés Giménez and Ty France in a handful of at-bats during their stints with other teams.

He features a fastball that averages over 98 mph, as well as a pair of secondary pitches that sit in the low 90s. Although posting just over a strikeout per inning, he’s pitching to a 5.2 BB/9 this season. His last triple-A stint lasted just 13 total innings over three starts, but he was effective in those appearances, posting a 2.08 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

Aside from one hitter in tonight’s lineup, John Schneider has alternated righties and lefties. After the usual top of the order against a right-handed pitcher, Davis Schneider slots into the five spot tonight with Daulton Varsho hitting right behind him. Tyler Heineman will catch Yesavage’s debut and bat eighth, while Giménez will fill in at shortstop in Bo Bichette’s absence.

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, FL

First Pitch: 7:35 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Toronto Blue Jays – Trey Yesavage: 0-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 0 IP, 0 SO, 0 BB

Tampa Bay Rays – Joe Boyle: 1-3 record, 5.40 ERA, 36 2/3 IP, 39 SO, 21 BB