It may not have been Game 5 of the ALDS, but the Toronto Blue Jays’ bye-week intrasquad game that drew 7,500 fans at Rogers Centre Thursday afternoon dropped some clues about what’s ahead for the team, especially on the pitching side. In only two days, Toronto will begin the American League Division Series at home. But until manager John Schneider speaks on the first official ALDS workout day, these early hints are more than suggestive.

Max Scherzer—the 41-year-old right-hander had a five-inning, 70-pitch outing on Thursday. Schneider wouldn’t have allowed him to extend that far if there was even the slightest chance of Scherzer being available for Games 1 or 2 this weekend.

That wasn’t exactly surprising, but if Schneider planned to use Scherzer out of the bullpen this series, they wouldn’t have let him pitch this much for an exhibition game. His 70-pitch outing means that he’ll be lining up for a Game 3 or 4 start on Tuesday or Wednesday.

It’s also likely that he won’t be on the roster at all for this round.

Even the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to leave Clayton Kershaw off their Wild Card roster; that means playoff roster decisions are more about who can help most over a short period. It’s less about who is required to get through a full 162-game season.

Since there was no postgame media availability after Thursday’s game, the impact of Scherzer’s extended outing is still uncertain. Plus, not to forget, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage weren’t a part of the intrasquad games. So, probably, these two hurlers will appear for Games 1 and 2 this weekend.

The one who takes the mound for Game 1 would likely be back for Game 5, and Gausman could be a strong candidate for that assignment.

Ultimately, if the Blue Jays’ pitching staff doesn’t perform at their best or the offense doesn’t back them up, then these decisions won’t matter. But with the possibility of the Blue Jays getting a key arm back for the ALDS, things could pay off even more for the team.

Blue Jays Pitcher Chris Bassitt nearing his return

As per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Bassitt is making solid progress and is inching closer to his return. He’s been out since September 20, when the club placed him on the injured list for lower-back inflammation.

He pitched on Thursday as well, wearing a red jersey that looked in sharp contrast to his teammates in blue and white. It was tough for the Blue Jays to navigate without him in the last week of the regular season for a rotation that struggled a bit.

He has gone 11-9 this season across 31 starts with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Bassitt also struck out 166 batters in 170.1 innings. So, it’s going to be a big boost for the Blue Jays if Bassitt can pitch as a veteran starter on the road.

The club already has Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, and rookie Trey Yesavage. In the best-of-five series, some of them could be used out of the bullpen.

This weekend, it’ll be troublesome for the Yankees to face the Blue Jays’ arms. They probably made the most of their week off and stayed sharp, just like the Philadelphia Phillies, who also played the intrasquad game before the upcoming weekend.