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September 25 Gameday: José Soriano starts series opener against Reds

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

Sep 25, 2026, 18:40 EDTUpdated: Sep 25, 2026, 17:47 EDT

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The Toronto Blue Jays are set to kick off their final series of the 2026 campaign.

After being eliminated from postseason contention on Wednesday, the Blue Jays will host the Cincinnati Reds for three games as they close out what was one of the more disappointing campaigns in recent memory.

Sitting at 77-82 through 159 games, the only battle left in the Blue Jays’ season is to see if they can pass the Baltimore Orioles, who sit at 78-81, to ensure they don’t finish with the worst record in the American League East.

Starting for the Blue Jays in the series opener is right-hander José Soriano. Soriano will be making his 32nd start of the year as he closes out his fourth season at the big-league level. Through his 31 starts this season between both the Los Angeles Angels and Blue Jays, Soriano is 12-8 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Soriano has thrown a career-high 174.1 innings to this point in the season, and during that span has struck out 167 batters while limiting opponents to a .229 average.

Since being acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, Soriano has made nine starts and has gone 3-2 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The 27-year-old has thrown 51.1 innings and struck out 40 batters during that span.

One name that Soriano will have to watch in the Reds’ lineup is Elly De La Cruz. Through 140 games this season, De La Cruz is batting .285 with 30 home runs and 77 RBIs, while picking up 29 steals on 37 attempts. Across six at-bats against Soriano, De La Cruz has been limited to only one hit.

Countering Soriano for the Reds is left-hander Nick Lodolo. Through 20 starts this season, Lodolo is 3-6 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. The 28-year-old has struck out 80 batters across 103.2 innings and has been hit at a .276 clip.

Lodolo has struggled as of late, having gone 0-4 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.49 WHIP over his past seven starts. The lefty has allowed 22 earned runs on 38 hits and 17 walks over 37 innings during this seven-game span.

Myles Straw, along with Andrés Giménez and Ernie Clement are the only three Blue Jays who have previously faced Lodolo in their careers. Straw is 2-for-2 in his career off the left-hander with a double, and will bat ninth in Friday’s contest.

Here is how the lineups look for the series opener in Toronto:

Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Ontario

First Pitch: 7:07 p.m. ET

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590