The Blue Jays started 2026 in a precarious position. Injuries to Jose Berrios, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber forced manager John Schneider to pull arms from the bullpen to fill out a depleted starting rotation. Eric Lauer was one such name who dominated the A’s last Sunday. He allowed two runs over 5.1 innings, striking out nine batters. However, Lauer’s next scheduled start on Saturday is reportedly now getting postponed.

“Prior to Friday’s series opener in the Windy City, Schneider revealed that Lauer is currently battling an illness and will have his next start pushed back to Sunday,” BlueJaysNation reported.

Lauer was scheduled to start the second game against the White Sox on Saturday. However, he will now be pulled out as he is reportedly battling some illness. While Schneider didn’t reveal the exact details of his illness, the Blue Jays might now see an all-bullpen day on Saturday. Surely, it’s a setback for the Jays, considering how Lauer held up the rotation in the absence of the elite starters.

Moreover, the $4.4 million pitcher has done everything the team has asked of him for the last year. He became a utility arm, covering everything from a swing-man role to pitching in the rotation before going back to the bullpen.

On the other hand, it’s a setback for Lauer also because a further delay in his start means the injured starters will fill one after another. “Trey Yesavage slated to pitch three innings in a minor-league game for Class A Dunedin today. John Schneider estimated that Yesavage would be back in the majors first. He’ll be followed by Jose Berrios, then Shane Bieber,” MLB insider Ben-Nicholson Smith shared via X.

It was just before the spring that Yesavage reported right shoulder discomfort, which was diagnosed as an impingement. Since then, he has been in recovery mode. However, Yesavage pitching three innings for the Dunedin Blue Jays is a welcoming update for the Jays.

Yesavage had a heroic debut last year with a 3.21 ERA and 16 SOs in 14.0 innings. What’s more is that Berrios and Bieber will start throwing in the minors. However, Cody Ponce recently got injured and is no longer in the active rotation. During his Blue Jays debut against the Rockies, he suffered a right ACL sprain and was carted off the field.

Because of this, the Blue Jays are currently operating with only four starters: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Eric Lauer, and Max Scherzer. Yesavage, once back, would fill the massive hole in the rotation created by Ponce’s injury.

Still, despite their issue in starting rotation, the Blue Jays proved how an aggressive offseason could come in handy.

The Blue Jays’ hyped offseason is already paying off

With the likes of Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto signed during the offseason, the Blue Jays hyped it up like there’s no tomorrow. First, it was Cease who started the season with a bang. A 1.69 ERA and 12 SOs are worth every penny of $210 million. Then it’s Okamoto, who already scored two homers at .292! While his strikeout-to-walk ratio is noticeable, Okamoto has been the spark the Blue Jays desperately needed.

Jesus Sanchez is the next one who is shining for the Jays. The Jays traded him from the Astros for Joey Loperfido, and Sanchez is already proving the decision right. He’s slashing .375/.500/.563 with four RBIs. What’s more is that despite Anthony Santander’s injury, the Blue Jays are not bearing the impact due to Sanchez.

Lastly, after much delay, the Jays landed Max Scherzer for another year. And the veteran is already proving his worth. On Tuesday, Mad Max was at his vintage best. He threw six innings, allowing one run on four hits with four SOs. Yes, the sample size is small with just six games played so far. But with how the starting rotation is ravaged, the Blue Jays are still second in the AL East with a 4-2 record.

Now, with names like Yesavage and Bieber coming back from the IL, fans can bet on something bigger than the last year. Let’s now see if they can overcome the heartbreak of 2025.