Sports

Blue Jays Set to Face Injury-Depleted Athletics in Three-Game Series

By Tom Dakers

The Toronto Blue Jays will open a three-game series against the Athletics, who currently sit at 57-78, 16 games behind Houston in the AL West. The A's would need to go 6-12 over their final 18 games to avoid a 100-loss season, though they recently snapped a four-game winning streak.

Offensively, the Athletics rank eighth in the American League in runs per game at 4.38, compared to the Blue Jays' 4.03, which places them second-to-last. Defensively, Oakland allows the most runs per game in the league at 5.69, well above the Minnesota Twins' 4.99, which is the second-worst mark. Toronto ranks sixth in the AL in runs allowed, at 4.29 per game.

For the pitching matchups, tonight's game features Dylan Cease (10-5, 2.25 ERA) for the A's against Jacob Lopez (6-4, 4.71 ERA) for the Jays, with a 10:00 p.m. Eastern start. Tomorrow, José Soriano (11-7, 3.52 ERA) faces off against Jack Perkins (3-10, 6.50 ERA) at 9:40 p.m. Eastern. Wednesday's starters remain undetermined for both teams, with that game scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. Eastern start. It remains unclear whether Toronto will call up a pitcher from the minors or use a bullpen approach, depending on how much relief pitching is needed in the first two games.

Both teams' bullpens have been heavily used this season. The Athletics have received 696 innings from their starting rotation and 580 from relievers, while the Blue Jays have gotten 677 innings from starters and 603.1 from the bullpen.

Oakland is dealing with significant injuries to its top players. First baseman Nick Kurtz, who was hitting .256/.396/.483 with 21 home runs and a 3.9 bWAR, is out for the remainder of the season with a strained right thumb. Catcher Shea Langeliers, batting .263/.332/.497 with 23 home runs and a 3.7 bWAR, is sidelined with a knee injury but could return later this season. Tyler Soderstrom, who posted a .245/.338/.472 line with 19 home runs and a 2.6 bWAR, is out following hip surgery. Additionally, Joshua Kurdoa-Grauer is dealing with a ruptured testicle, and the team's top pitcher, J.T. Ginn (9-8, 3.71 ERA, 3.3 bWAR), is out with a right elbow impingement.

Despite these setbacks, the Athletics still have some productive players. Third baseman Zack Gelof is hitting .257/.321/.468 with 17 home runs and a 2.8 bWAR. Center fielder Henry Bolte is batting .274/.352/.386 with a 2.5 bWAR, having stolen 16 bases while being caught eight times. Shortstop Alika Williams is hitting .273/.310/.438 with a 1.5 bWAR.

In the bullpen, Hogan Harris serves as the closer with a 3.38 ERA, 15 saves, and 6 blown saves. Luis Medina has posted a 3.53 ERA with 10 holds, while Elvis Alvarado has a 4.21 ERA and 9 holds.