With the final two series set to take place against the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, the Toronto Blue Jays are very much a team stuck in the middle.

Three games back of the final Wild Card spot, currently occupied by the Chicago White Sox, the team has gone 2-5 since their last series win against the Orioles. Per FanGraphs, the Blue Jays have a 3.7% chance to make the playoffs, leaving no room for error if they want another shot in October.

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. removed from the game due to lower back tightness on Sunday afternoon, we could potentially see him miss a few games. Enter Sean Keys, who, since being called up on September 1, has only started three games for the Blue Jays, with the rest coming off the bench in a pinch-hit scenario.  Since being called up, Keys is hitting .333 with a home run and three RBIs in September. With men on base, Keys is also hitting .385 on the season in 13 of those at-bats, cashing in seven runners.

When Keys makes contact with the ball, he is sure able to drive it far based on his numbers in Triple-A this season. Given Guerrero’s injuries that have affected him throughout the season, playing Sean Keys for the last few games at first base could be more realistic, regardless of your ambitions to make the postseason or not.

While the Blue Jays lineup is incredibly left-handed heavy with the likes of Nathan Lukes, Brett Bateman, Andres Gimenez, and Josh Smith, you can use Keys to get more at-bats without sacrificing giving other players in your lineup playing time. Plugging in the starting first baseman in Triple-A could also prove to be more effective than moving Kazuma Okamoto away from third base.

Keys tends to struggle against breaking balls, as he is only hitting .167 against them in the majors, with 10 of his 18 strikeouts coming on breaking pitches. Against

With the current playoff odds sitting at just single digits now, now might be the time to let the kids play and see what they can do in 2027 and beyond.

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