Looking at the Blue Jays starting rotation depth
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Aug 12, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 11, 2025, 20:27 EDT
With the season ending in less than two months and the Toronto Blue Jays in a playoff spot, it’s worthwhile to look at their starting pitching depth.
Heading into the 2025 season, it was the biggest area of concern for the Blue Jays. It was amplified after Max Scherzer was pulled from his first Blue Jays’ start and missed significant time on the Injured List. Adding to that, Bowden Francis struggled mightily in the back end of the rotation.
Fast forward to the middle of August, and the Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in the American League and are tied for the second-best record in all of baseball. Is it because of their starting pitching? Absolutely not, as starters have a 4.43 ERA and 4.58 FIP in 613.1 innings pitched, the ninth-worst ERA and sixth-worst FIP.
The current rotation of Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, Chris Bassitt, and José Berríos has found better success, as they have combined for a 3.91 ERA in 517.1 innings pitched. It’s worth noting that this only counts Lauer’s stats, not his relief outings.
None of these players is an ace, which led to the Blue Jays acquiring Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Khal Stephen. Bieber won the American League Cy Young Award in 2020 and pitched well in 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately, injury issues have kept him from finding his regular success, and he’s only pitched 12 innings since the start of 2024.
That said, Bieber is making his way back, as he made his second rehab start with the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday, going five and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out six. The 30-year-old is likely to get at least one more rehab start before joining the Blue Jays. When he does, it’s likely the Jays either go to a six-man rotation or push Lauer to the bullpen.
Bieber isn’t the only starter who could return to the Blue Jays soon, as Alek Manoah has also been rehabbing in the Blue Jays system. Like Bieber, Manoah is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and pitched on Thursday in Double-A, going three innings while giving up two earned runs, three walks, and two strikeouts. Manoah has option years remaining, so he’ll likely finish his season in Triple-A unless he’s moved to the bullpen for the time being.
There are two other starters on the Injured List, Francis and Angel Bastardo. Francis has a shoulder injury and was moved to the 60-Day IL at the end of July, not to mention his earlier struggles to begin the season. Bastardo (the Jays’ Rule 5 pick in 2024) is coming back from Tommy John surgery, but there has been very little news regarding the 23-year-old.
Other pitchers on the 40-man roster who could start big league games to end the season are Adam Macko, Lázaro Estrada, Robinson Piña, Easton Lucas, and Paxton Schultz. Macko has pitched better as of late, Estrada looked okay in his first two call-ups, and Schultz is having a nice season. Although not on the 40-man roster, Adam Kloffenstein is another name the Blue Jays could use if push comes to shove.
The Jays have one other option who seems a bit realistic this season. On Monday, Trey Yesavage was promoted to Triple-A after firing five innings from the bullpen on Friday. It seems possible that Yesavage will make his big league debut sooner rather than later, and that could include during the tail end of the 2025 season. Whether that’s in a relief role or in the rotation is anyone’s best guess.
All in all, the Jays’ rotation at this moment is okay, but not great. Adding Bieber is high-risk, high-reward given his injury history the past two seasons, but both Manoah and Yesavage could also contribute in the coming weeks.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.