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July 29 Gameday: Trey Yesavage leads Blue Jays in series rubber match against Nationals
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Photo credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Tristan Morgan
Jul 29, 2026, 12:38 EDT
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With a late-night battle and a 67-minute rain delay in the rear-view mirror, the Toronto Blue Jays park the bus one last time this season at Nationals Park to wrap up their interleague series against the Washington Nationals.
A 49-59 record and sitting 10 games under .500 is a sobering place to be in late July for last year’s AL pennant winner. Toronto’s campaign has been fully derailed by various factors in 2026, but one is the severe lack of offensive prowess, with the club ranking 29th in MLB in team OPS and 30th in runs scored. This Wednesday afternoon game could be a quick opportunity to shake off Tuesday’s late-night fatigue and build momentum before heading back home to Rogers Centre.
Across the field, Washington is 55-53 while in the thick of a postseason push, sitting just 1.0 game back of an NL Wild Card spot with a high-powered offensive engine that leads MLB in total runs scored (594) and home runs (152), leading the way, while shielding a 27th-ranked team ERA (4.75).
Trey Yesavage gets the ball today as he enters Washington as one of Toronto’s most intriguing young arms. Through 16 starts, the 23-year-old rookie right-hander carries a 3.92 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP with a 9.21 K/9. Yesavage boasts stellar underlying numbers as well, a 3.33 xERA (77th percentile) and a microscopic .197 expected opponent batting average (92nd percentile), driven by an elite 30.6 percent whiff rate. 
There is one caveat worth monitoring today: Yesavage has endured a volatile July, posting a bloated 6.11 ERA across his last four starts. His sudden wildness has been a precursor to his struggles, as he has issued 12 walks over his last 17.2 innings pitched. That said, Yesavage holds a massive tactical advantage: not a single hitter on Washington’s active roster has ever faced him in a Major League plate appearance. Releasing from a steep 7.1-foot vertical release height, his four-seamer sets up a deadly splitter with 32 inches of vertical drop that, the first time around, should leave Nationals hitters empty-handed. 
Standing across from him today is Zack Littell, the veteran right-hander, who has a 5.17 ERA but has pitched as an effective innings-eater for Washington, allowing two or fewer earned runs in six of his nine starts since June. But the underlying numbers aren’t pretty. Littell owns an ugly 6.28 xERA that ranks in the bottom 3% of MLB and an above-average mark .288 xBA. Relying on a low-velocity mix dominated by a 91-92 mph fastball, sweeping slider, and cutter, Littell generates just 5.88 K/9 with little swing-and-miss, leaving him vulnerable to traffic on the bases.
Toronto’s offence profiles exceptionally well against Littell’s pitch mix, especially given their familiarity with him from his AL East tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays. Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk carry a monstrous .444 average with three home runs and five RBIs against Litell and should be able to continue their dominance in Nationals Park’s hitter-friendly environment. 
One name missing from the mix, however, is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It is the central storyline for Toronto entering Wednesday, as Guerrero Jr. was forced to exit Tuesday night’s game in the top of the fourth inning following a sprint down to first base in an attempt to beat out a ground ball, being removed due to right hamstring tightness. Guerrero Jr. is listed as day-to-day, but manager John Schneider insisted he is available off the bench if needed. Guerrero Jr. owns a 1.542 career OPS against Littell, so Toronto loses its big middle-of-the-order threat today. 
Hazel Mae
Hazel Mae
@thehazelmae
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. not in the starting lineup (hamstring). John Schneider said he's feeling better, but a little bit sore. Guerrero is available off the bench if they need him. "Just trying to take advantage of the off day tomorrow, too, and not have anything worse happen."

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Washington’s high-flying offence remains a threat to erupt at any moment behind the superstar one-two punch of CJ Abrams and James Wood, who have combined for 57 home runs and 35 stolen bases. With Toronto’s pitching staff consistently taxed and an extremely short turnaround from Tuesday’s affair, keeping Yesavage on the mound through six innings is essential to leave Wednesday with a series win.
The Doomsday Clock is set to five minutes to midnight. The trade deadline looms, and as the losses have piled up for Toronto, hope is dwindling fast, with selling a strong likelihood come August 3rd. This is the final game of the final road trip of July, during which they are 8-15 overall this month. 
Regardless of the trade speculation mounting outside the organization, the focus within Toronto’s clubhouse remains the same. It begins on the mound today with Trey Yesavage leading the charge, and a lineup hopefully following suit to pull off a series-clinching win.
Location: Nationals Park – Washington, DC
First Pitch: 1:05 PM ET
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Trey Yesavage: 4-5, 3.92 ERA, 85.0 IP, 87 SO, 42 BB
Washington Nationals – Zack Littell: 7-8, 5.17 ERA, 101.0 IP, 66 SO, 31 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:
  1. Yohendrick Piñango – LF
  2. Nathan Lukes – RF
  3. Kazuma Okamoto – 1B
  4. George Springer – DH
  5. Alejandro Kirk – C
  6. Daulton Varsho – CF
  7. Ernie Clement – 3B
  8. Andrés Giménez – SS
  9. Davis Schneider – 2B
Nationals:
  1. James Wood – RF
  2. Luis García Jr. – 1B
  3. Brady House – 3B
  4. CJ Abrams – DH
  5. Harry Ford – C
  6. Daylen Lile – LF
  7. Jacob Young – CF
  8. Jorbit Vivas – 2B
  9. Nasim Núñez – SS
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