The Blue Jays entered this weekend’s matchup against the Texas Rangers knowing they needed to win at least two of three games to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
asserted
they → enter → hopes
They responded by dropping the first two to fall further back in the race.
asserted
They → respond → race
The situation became even more dire Sunday afternoon when two of their best players were pulled because of injuries.
asserted
two → become → injuries
Prior to the 7-2 road victory, the Jays announced ace starting pitcher Dylan Cease had been sent back to Toronto for an MRI on his fatigued right shoulder.
asserted
Cease → announce → shoulder
A few hours later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. departed because of a recurring lower back issue.
asserted
Jr. → depart → issue
Guerrero was 1-for-2 before he was removed in the fourth inning.
asserted
he → remove → inning
It appears to be the same problem that prompted him to skip the all-star game in July and continued to bother him into August.
asserted
that → appear → August
He has also dealt with hamstring and concussion issues this season.
asserted
He → deal → issues
The injuries might partially explain Guerrero’s disastrous season, but they shouldn’t be used as an excuse.
uncertain
they → explain → excuse
After all, he’s the one who decided to continue playing without much of a break, and he did it with the Jays’ approval.
asserted
he → ’ → approval
Playing through pain is admirable, and yet if that’s what happened here the iron-man mentality did more harm than good.
asserted
mentality → play → harm
If the Jays handle Guerrero’s latest setback like previous ones, he’ll likely be a game-time decision for Monday’s series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore.
asserted
he → handle → Baltimore
A smarter decision might be to cut their losses and bring Guerrero’s season to an end.
uncertain
decision → cut → end
Even though Sunday’s victory temporarily moved them within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago White Sox for the last wild-card spot, the deficit is actually 3 1/2 because they don’t own the tiebreaker.
asserted
they → move → tiebreaker
Sunday’s injury concerns weren’t limited to Guerrero.
asserted
concerns → limit → Guerrero
Two days after setting a career low with a 93.6-m.p.h. average fastball velocity, Cease was officially scratched from his next start in Baltimore.
asserted
Cease → set → Baltimore
Further testing in Toronto will determine whether the velocity drop is simply late-season fatigue or evidence of a more serious structural problem.
asserted
drop → determine → problem
Concerns had been mounting in recent weeks.
asserted
Concerns → mount → weeks
Cease’s velocity started declining in late July and became a big talking point earlier this month, when the Cy Young Award contender averaged less than 95 m.p.h. on his fastball in three consecutive starts for the first time in his eight-year career.
asserted
contender → start → career
There’s still an outside chance he will return next weekend to face the Cincinnati Reds at the Rogers Centre, but it’s far more likely that he has thrown his last pitch of 2026.
asserted
he → ’ → 2026
If this is it, Cease will finish 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA and 239 strikeouts across 169 innings.
asserted
Cease → finish → innings
Combined with losses in the first two games of the series, the injuries greatly diminished the importance of the series finale from a Toronto perspective.
asserted
injuries → combine → perspective
However, the Jays at least managed to avoid the sweep by putting together a productive afternoon off Rangers front-line starter Jacob deGrom.
asserted
Jays → manage → deGrom
The Jays opened the scoring in the first inning.
asserted
Jays → open → inning
After a leadoff walk to Brett Bateman and a Guerrero single, Nathan Lukes drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly.
asserted
Lukes → drive → fly
They scored another in the third on a double by Sean Keys, and one more in the fifth on a Kazuma Okamoto single.
asserted
They → score → single
They waited until the seventh to break the game wide open.
asserted
They → wait → game
Lukes and Andrés Giménez added RBI singles, while rookie Charles McAdoo chipped in a two-run double and the Jays increased their lead to five.
asserted
Jays → add → five
On the pitching side, they received three scoreless innings from opener Spencer Miles, while six relievers combined to allow just two runs on six hits and four walks.
asserted
relievers → receive → hits
Despite Sunday’s victory, the Jays are still all but mathematically eliminated from the post-season.
asserted
Jays → eliminate → season
To have any chance at reaching October, they probably have to win all of their remaining six games while also getting a ton of help from the out-of-town scoreboard.
asserted
they → have → scoreboard
It’s basically impossible without their services.
asserted
It → ’ → services
If the Jays want to wait until they lose another game before officially pulling the chute, that’s fine.
asserted
that → want → chute
They have been competing for almost six months, what’s another day or two?
asserted
day → compete → months
But we all know where this is headed, and it’s nowhere good.
asserted
it → know → ?
The Aporia
