It’s bump day for Kevin Gausman in what will mark his final start of the 2024 season.

The Ace has had his toughest of three seasons with the Blue Jays this year, seeing his ERA with the team dip from 3.25 to 3.91, his FIP fall from 2.68 to 3.77, and his strikeout rate fall from 29.7 percent to 21.8 percent. A lot of Gausman’s struggles came during the first half of the season, and while his K-rate was higher in the first half than the second, so was his 4.50 ERA, falling down to 3.04 through the second half of the season.

Gausman’s slow start to the season can largely be attributed to him missing all but the finale of Spring Training due to shoulder fatigue, highlighting just how important that time of year is for MLB players. He would throw just four and a third innings in his regular-season debut, and in his second and third starts of the season, got blown up by the New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies, allowing 11 earned runs across five innings. He would have more troublesome starts throughout the first half, but managed to lock things down late in the year, dropping his line drive and home run rates, while increasing his flyball rate.

Early season cobwebs aside, Gausman was valuable for the Jays down the stretch this year, and him having a strong start to the 2025 season will be key as he enters the second last year of a five-year, $110-million deal.

And tonight, he’ll look to end the season on a high note against a Red Sox team Bowden Francis rolled through with easy on Tuesday. Gausman will do so with a new look lineup, seeing George Springer get a day off and Jonatan Clase take the leadoff spot, with Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger rounding out the top five spots in the order.

First pitch: 7:07 p.m. EST.

TV & Radio: Sportsnet, SN590, TVA Sports.

Moneyline: TOR -140; BOS +120.
Spread: TOR -1.5 +145; BOS +1.5 -170.
Over/Under: o8 -110; u8 -110.

*Odds at the time of publishing. Odds subject to change.

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.