With just 16 games remaining this season, the Toronto Blue Jays have very little margin of error remaining.

After the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday evening, the Blue Jays held serve thanks to a 4-2 victory over the Athletics. Entering Wednesday afternoon’s contest, the Blue Jays are still just one game behind the Guardians for the final wild card spot with the tiebreaker.

If the Blue Jays don’t make the postseason, a big reason why will be thanks to the plethora of injuries to their starting pitching this season. They’ll have their daunted bullpen game on Wednesday, as Braydon Fisher is set to start. This season, the right-handed pitcher owns a 3.20 ERA over 70.1 innings of work. Fisher has started eight games this season, where he has allowed just one run over nine innings of work.

His lone start in 2025 came against the Athletics, where he surrendered five earned runs over an inning and a third. Thankfully, the Blue Jays came back to win that game and eventually sweep the four-game series.

On the other side, lefty Brady Basso starts for the Athletics in what will also be a bullpen game for the 58-88 team. Over 33.1 innings of work this season, Basso has a 4.31 ERA and 3.27 FIP, giving up just five walks. In his four starts, the 28-year-old has given up five earned runs in eight innings of work, while opponents are batting .353 against him.

With a lefty on the mound, the Blue Jays have a right-handed batting heavy lineup. Andrés Giménez is one of two lefties in the lineup, and he’s batting sixth. Brett Bateman is in his usual lead-off spot, but a southpaw doesn’t faze him. Since joining the team, Bateman is slashing .325/.378/.400 in 45 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

With Wednesday’s game being an afternoon affair, switch-hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela will behind the dish. That said, Alejandro Kirk remains in the lineup and will serve as the team’s designated hitter. Charles McAdoo returns to the lineup and will play right field.

Myles Straw is in the lineup as well, batting ninth and playing centre field. Since July 27th, the start of this run that the Blue Jays are on, Straw is slashing .278/.352/.423 in 110 plate appearances, good for a 120 wRC+.

Also in the lineup are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (batting third), Kazuma Okamoto (batting fifth), and Ernie Clement (batting seventh). Once Basso departs, Josh Smith, George Springer, Sean Keys, Jesús Sánchez, and Nathan Lukes are available off the bench to pinch hit.

Let’s set up Wednesday’s series finale!

Toronto Blue Jays – Braydon Fisher: 3-4 record, 3.20 ERA, 70.1 IP, 68 SO, 38 BB

Athletics – Brady Basso:  1-2 record, 4.32 ERA, 33.1 IP, 24 SO, 5 BB