John Schneider says Jays' rotation plans will be "a little bit flexible." "With the off days, guys are going to get extra rest. We're going to do a little bit of mixing & matching. I think there is a way to kind of get not only (Jose Berrios), but other guys some extra rest.”
Eric Lauer returns to the Blue Jays rotation after phantom bullpen stint
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Aug 25, 2025, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 25, 2025, 06:44 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays moved Eric Lauer to the bullpen this past weekend, but the southpaw wasn’t needed in Miami.
Manager John Schneider announced last week that with Shane Bieber joining the squad and making the start on Friday, Lauer was going to be moved to the relief corps in a move that was deemed temporary by the Jays’ skipper. The Jays’ rotation is considered fluid and ever-changing, considering the club has six starters on the roster. Schneider called upon numerous arms this weekend against the Marlins due to the extra-inning affair on Saturday, and Lauer got hot in a bullpen session but never saw the mound at loanDepot park.
With this in mind, in the end, it was just a skipped start for the left-hander, and he will now get the nod this Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins. Max Scherzer will start the series tonight and will be followed by Chris Bassitt before Lauer closes off the series. This leads to Bieber making his Rogers Centre debut on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers, who own the best record in baseball (81-50).
Lauer has been one of the Blue Jays’ most consistent arms in the rotation since becoming a full-time starter on June 11th.
Through his last 12 outings, he owns a 3.05 ERA and a 3.37 FIP through 62 innings while striking out 63 batters compared to 16 walks. Toronto has won 10 of those starts, and he owns a 6-1 record through that time. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start or a relief appearance this season.
With Lauer now back in the rotation picture, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays will commit to a six-man rotation moving forward. The Jays will be getting an extra reliever when the rosters expand on September 1st, and the club has three off days throughout the month that should give some of the veteran arms an additional day of rest down the stretch. However, the squad has 13 games in a row starting September 9th that may require Schneider to find some consistency in the rotation.
PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST
Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.