Toronto watched a 4-0 lead melt away as Minnesota stormed back 7-5 at Rogers Centre. George Springer supplied the power spike with two homers in a hot stretch, while a bullpen meltdown—Hoffman losing the lead after Mickey Gasper’s first big-league homer tied the game—made the outcome painful. Matt Wallner punctuated the night with a three-run blast to seize the lead. Alek Manoah’s rehab start offered a glimmer of return timing for the Jays, adding a late-season fantasy pivot as Springer’s resurgence grows more meaningful amid Toronto’s relief volatility.

Alek Manoah’s UCL-reconstruction rehab is being paced with a 2026 return in mind, not quick stats. Toronto is leaning into patience while Manoah rebuilds arm strength and command, setting the stage for a full rotation comeback. The plan centers on velocity gains and toning, not results, as the Blue Jays lean on a deep pitching pipeline to absorb innings in the interim.

Blue Jays sit atop the AL standings and lead MLB in hits, team batting average and on-base percentage, with a 71-51 record and a 40-20 home mark. Reinforcements are en route: George Springer is nearing a return from a concussion during the Texas Rangers series, Shane Bieber could join later this month, and Alek Manoah plus top pitching prospect Trey Yesavage are in various stages of rehab or call-up readiness. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. provided the big moment, a go-ahead two-run homer off Matthew Boyd in the seventh, as Max Scherzer worked seven-plus innings to hand Toronto a 2-1 win over the Cubs. With Springer back and a deeper pitching pipeline, Toronto continues to push a potent offense—already league leaders in hits (1,116), batting average (.268) and OBP (.337)—toward a late-season surge.

Springer’s return should restore dynamic baserunning and balance to a lineup that has thrived with him DH-ing. The Jays’ offense, anchored by Guerrero’s 18 homers and 57 RBIs in 101 games, remains the engine, while manager John Schneider notes Springer’s leadership and base-running value. The club’s hoped-for depth, including Bieber in the rotation and Manoah’s return later in the year, could fortify Toronto’s push for a postseason run as it prepares for pivotal series with Texas and beyond.

As Toronto looks to maintain its edge in a tight AL, these reinforcements address both frontline acceleration and innings flexibility, keeping the Jays a formidable challenger in October.

Andrés Giménez returns to the action, a subtle but meaningful jolt to the Guardians’ lineup as they visit Toronto. The Blue Jays project a powerhouse lineup atop the order, led by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with Seiya Suzuki and Addison Barger providing additional firepower. Alek Manoah spins for Buffalo’s affiliates, a reminder that Jays’ prospect depth could push through to a big league call-up soon. The article spotlights a mix of veteran staples and budding stars, signaling which names could drive fantasy value tonight.

Watch Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk as potential value plays for deeper rosters, while the Jays’ top corners and middle-infield clusters— Guerrero Jr., Bichette, Suzuki—remain the core fantasy engines. For the Cubs, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson headline a lineup that features breakout candidates like Matt Shaw and Ernie Clement, with Jose Berríos taking the ball for Toronto’s counterparts as the game unfolds. In short, the slate tilts toward power through the Jays’ lineup and the Guardians’ recent reinforcement, with several call-up hopefuls lurking on the periphery.

The surrounding notes mention a Buffalo start to Manoah’s minor-league arc and Trey Yesavage on the horizon—threads that could pull more Jays affiliates into the MLB orbit. For fantasy players, tonight’s canvas favors established Jays bats and a handful of Cubs names pushing into the risk-reward mix. As always, monitor lineups and pitcher moods, because a single lineup tweak can tilt daily fantasy upside or risk on any given night.