With the Blue Jays’ playoff push set to trek through September, things have not always been as optimal as this past weekend showed. The taxed bullpen has struggled to record outs and has surrendered far too many runs, making it time to consider ways to help them.

Yimi Garcia is sidelined for the rest of the season, and Nick Sandlin is on the IL as well, so the team’s only potential reinforcements come in the form of Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher, who were both sent down within the past two weeks. Fisher has looked solid overall this season, but his demotion came after a couple of rough outings where his command wasn’t sharp in the strike zone. Fluharty has also struggled with his control, issuing a walk in each of his last four appearances.

So why would moving Eric Lauer back to the bullpen make sense?

Outside of Lauer and Fluharty, the Blue Jays’ other left-handed options are Brendon Little and Justin Bruihl. Despite a strong season out of the bullpen, Little is starting to lose steam as teams adjust to his knuckle curveball, leading to fewer chases and more walks. He currently leads all Toronto relievers with a WHIP of 1.345, and in the second half alone, he has walked 11 batters across 14 innings of work. Bruihl, meanwhile, has been unreliable, posting a 5.68 ERA across 14 games while logging just 12 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays did sign Ryan Borucki to a minor-league deal last week, but it’s hard to imagine that move alone being the solution to salvaging a weakened bullpen in the second half of the season, especially while the team battles for the American League East.

In long relief—or even in shorter stints—Lauer has shown he can handle the workload.

Since being called up at the end of April, he has provided steady production that the team has greatly appreciated. As a reliever, his numbers are excellent: he has surrendered just two earned runs while facing 66 batters, holding opponents to a .086 batting average.

Moving Eric Lauer to the bullpen feels not only necessary but also like a move both he and the fanbase would welcome. At this stage of the season, with a tough schedule looming against the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays need every possible advantage if they want to finish with the best record in the American League East. It also looks like the Jays may be on the same page, as he was slated to make a start against Cincinnati this upcoming week, and he no longer is slated, meaning Shane Bieber will now be starting on regular rest.

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