Red Sox Catch Break As Blue Jays Shuffle Starting Rotation

The Boston Red Sox have two games remaining against the Toronto Blue Jays in the regular season. Originally, Shane Bieber was scheduled to start the series finale for Toronto on Thursday, but according to Keegan Matheson, he’s being pushed back a day, leaving Thursday’s starter to be determined.

The switch is somewhat of a lucky break for the Red Sox. Since returning from injury, Bieber has been excellent for Toronto. In six starts, the righty has a 3.57 ERA and a 24.8% strikeout rate. He’s completed at least five innings in all six of his starts, going a full six innings in four of them.

The Blue Jays haven’t announced a replacement for Bieber, but Jose Berrios is in play. Berrios was recently moved to the bullpen due to performance. The righty has a 5.37 ERA over his last 13 starts.

While his performance of late hasn’t been stellar, he’s given the Red Sox a difficult time this season. In three starts, he’s allowed three earned runs over 20 2/3 innings. While the last meeting between Berrios and the Red Sox was in June and the Boston lineup has changed since then, he’ll still be a tempting option for manager John Schneider.

Eric Lauer is another option for Toronto. Lauer pitched out of the rotation from June to August, but has moved to the bullpen in September and hasn’t thrown more than two innings since September 2nd. He pitched twice against the Red Sox this year, allowing five earned runs in 8 1/3 innings.

The Blue Jays could also go with a bullpen game, but how Wednesday’s game plays out could affect their decision. Max Scherzer was touched up in his last start and failed to make it out of the first inning. The veteran has only completed five innings once in his last four starts. If it’s another short outing for Scherzer, Berrios could get the nod due to the length he can provide, though he’s likely to figure into the game plan in one way or another.

The Red Sox have Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello scheduled to start the next two days. After a short outing from Lucas Giolito on Tuesday, length from their starters is a necessity. Boston has no off days remaining this season, and a light night for the bullpen will help down the stretch.