Bo Bichette exited with a left-leg limp after shin-first contact with Austin Wells at home, as rain halted the Jays-Yankees tilt in the Bronx. The game sat at 2-1 with the bottom of the sixth looming and a 4:30 p.m. ET restart announced.

Nathan Lukes singled earlier and Cody Bellinger threw home to keep Toronto from tying. Chris Bassitt went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three Ks. Fantasy takeaway: monitor Bichette’s status; Lukes could absorb more plate appearances if Bichette sits, while Bassitt’s track record remains a baseline for Jays pitching in a weather-delayed win.

Blue Jays shift gears to protect their rotation, pushing Max Scherzer’s next start back one day while Chris Bassitt steps in on normal rest for Saturday. The move aims to shield a veteran with a history of finger and back issues and keep the weekend series against the Yankees intact. bullpen tweaks continue as Tommy Nance, Ryan Borucki and Braydon Fisher rejoin high-leverage duties, while Addison Barger shows signs of reclaiming his midseason form. Depth remains a priority as the club navigates a grueling stretch without farm-system trades.

Beyond the immediate rotation, the Jays lean on emerging depth and smarter pitch usage. Fisher’s Buffalo sojourn resets the body, Nance and Borucki anchor lefty/righty matchups, and the lineup growth from Barger's recent uptick provides critical momentum. The plan centers on practical safeguards and short, flexible stints from a bullpen that needs to cover more innings as starters shorten outings down the stretch.

Overall, the article frames a pragmatic approach: protect the veteran arms, leverage bullpen versatility, and rely on Barger's steadying presence to fuel a push for late-season wins. If Scherzer’s issues flare again, the Jays would pivot, but for now the strategy emphasizes prudent rest and bullpen depth as the path to postseason viability.

Noelvi Marte capped Cincinnati’s comeback with a walk-off two-run single, erasing a ninth-inning Jays rally that began with Bo Bichette’s two-run homer and Daulton Varsho’s multi-hit night. Toronto’s bullpen meltdown and a rare lodged-ball call fueled the Reds’ late surge, turning a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win. The result tightens Toronto’s AL East lead while keeping Cincinnati’s wild-card hopes alive as the playoff picture widens.