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Blue Jays Series Preview: World Series rematch with Dodgers
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Photo credit: © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Tristan Morgan
Apr 6, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 6, 2026, 04:27 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are limping into their biggest series of the young season, and there’s really no other way to put it.
The Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre looking to find their footing after a difficult road trip, one that ended in a sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox following their fourth straight loss. Toronto is now 4–5 on the season despite one of the lighter schedules in baseball to begin its 2026 campaign, and early issues are beginning to compound.
Now they get to face the 7-2 Los Angeles Dodgers. Not exactly ideal.
The 2025 World Series Rematch, so to speak, feels even more tilted in the Dodgers’ favour than last time, and the gap between these two teams right now is absolutely noticeable.
Offensively, the Blue Jays scored just seven runs across three games in Chicago and went a combined 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position. Recently, even when traffic is created on the basepaths, innings are ending without much damage, and that has defined their current stretch.
There is also uncertainty around Addison Barger, among many others, who is dealing with bilateral ankle discomfort after an outstretched step to first base in an attempt to beat the defence on a groundout, leaving him limping off the field yesterday. 
Before this, Barger had begun the season cold with only one hit in his first 16 at-bats. Add on a potential IL stint to the slow start with a lingering ankle issue, and it could seriously threaten the continuation of his 2025 breakout performance, where he hit 21 home runs. 
On the mound, however, the top of the rotation continues to shine despite being overshadowed by the rest of the team’s issues. Kevin Gausman has dazzled, showing a 0.75 ERA with 21 strikeouts, and Dylan Cease is putting up a 2.79 ERA with 18 strikeouts through their first two starts, giving the Blue Jays exactly what they need at the front end.
 But depth remains a concern in the short-term. Eric Lauer, among others, battled the flu in yesterday’s affairs, having to be hooked up to an IV before the game to help with hydration. However, this could only help so much, and Lauer topped out at 89 mph, approximately 3mph slower than normal, walking three and failing to record a strikeout before exiting early. With multiple pitchers already on the injured list, including José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, and Cody Ponce, Toronto’s margin for error on the mound is increasingly thinner, even with the recent signing of Patrick Corbin.
The bullpen has also had its fair share of struggles. Brendon Little was optioned on Friday after posting a 24.55 ERA in 3.2 innings pitched, giving up three homers on 10 hits in that time. With this, Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth were brought in to help recover the innings. Voth provided decent length with 2.2 innings of one-run ball yesterday, and Mantiply struck out three in his debut, but overall, the bullpen has a lot of question marks.
The bullpen, along with the rest of the team, may have higher expectations than last year. For the time being, the bullpen is a first-come first-serve affair, where if you’re able to perform, it’s your job to lose. I expect this testament to remain the same through what is perhaps their biggest challenge of the season: this series.
Now, let’s look at the reigning back-to-back champs who need no introduction.
The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive in Toronto once again looking like a powerhouse, and arguably an even stronger one than the group that captured the 2025 World Series in Toronto. Their offseason additions only deepened an already loaded roster, highlighted by the signing of closer Edwin Díaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker.
There is also a familiar face for Blue Jays fans returning this week in Teoscar Hernández, as he continues to be a middle-of-the-order threat, having hit his first home run of 2026 last night against the Nationals. 
Notably, Superstar Mookie Betts was recently placed on the injured list with an oblique strain, but the Dodgers’ depth has allowed them to maintain elite production regardless. Players continue to step in and contribute, reinforcing just how complete this roster is and why they have a good chance of three-peating as World Series Champions this fall.

One player to watch: Andy Pages

Andy Pages has been one of the most productive hitters in baseball through the first two weeks of the season, if not the most. He enters this series having gone 16-for-34 with a .794 slugging percentage, already collecting three home runs and leading the MLB in hits.
What makes Pages particularly dangerous so far is the combination of power and improved discipline. He has cut down on chase rates while consistently making hard contact, cutting his K% from 21.6% to 12.9% from last season.
The Blue Jays’ pitching staff is no secret to the longball, giving up the sixth-most in MLB last season. With starters who are known to give up the occasional homer in Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer lined up to start in this series, neutralizing the Dodgers power is going to be crucial, especially while controlling the basepaths better than they have so far, as the Blue Jays have averaged the third-most stolen bases allowed per game this season (1.38).

Quick Hits

  • Toronto has struck out at a high rate early, with Kazuma Okamoto tallying 17 strikeouts and George Springer close behind with 13, reflecting the broader offensive inconsistency compared to the 2025 campaign to this point.
  • The Dodgers opened their season with a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and are currently among the upper echelon of offensive teams, averaging 5.75 runs per game, the fourth-most in MLB.
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP and a name much too familiar to Blue Jays fans, delivered six innings with six strikeouts in his season debut and is expected to be a key factor starting in the middle of the series.
Probable Pitchers
Monday: Max Scherzer vs. Justin Wrobleski
Tuesday: Kevin Gausman vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Wednesday: Dylan Cease vs. Shohei Ohtani
Game Times
Monday: 7:07 PM ET
Tuesday: 7:07 PM ET
Wednesday: 3:07 PM ET

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