Another .500 Week Sends the Blue Jays Into the All-Star Break

[Leo Morgenstern]

The Blue Jays are six games below .500. They've fallen behind the Red Sox and Orioles in the AL East. They're still only 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, but they have the fifth-worst record and run differential in the American League. This wasn't the way the Jays were hoping to end the first half of the season, but hopefully, they can take this time off to reset before embarking on a make-or-break 16-games-in-17-days stretch leading up to the trade deadline.

Toronto Blue Jays Week in Review (July 6-12)

Monday, July 6: SFG 10, TOR 1

• Blue Jays finally (and just barely) break their run-scoring drought.
• Kevin Gausman takes his fourth loss in a row.
• The bottom five in the order go hitless. 

Tuesday, July 7: T0R 9, SFG 3

• Jonatan Clase hits his first big league home run since last June. (To be fair, he's back in the big leagues for the first time since last June.)
• The home run dragon is born.
• Spencer Miles goes four innings against his former organization. The 18 batters he faced in this one set a new career-high.

Wednesday, July 8: T0R 10, SFG 0

• Dylan Cease takes a no-hitter into the ninth.
• Daulton Varsho preserves the no-no with a spectacular catch.
• Kazuma Okamoto hits a grand slam.
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer go back-to-back.

Friday, July 10: TOR 5, SDP 3

• Shane Bieber struggles through another uninspiring start – though he persevered after a long first inning.
• Okamoto hits his 22nd bomb, tying Shohei Ohtani's record for the most home runs hit by a Japanese-born player in his rookie campaign.
• Louis Varland earns his 19th consecutive save. He's the first Blue Jays pitcher to save that many games in the first half without any blown saves. 

Saturday, July 11: SDP 8, TOR 7

• Trey Yesavage ends his first half on a rough note. (1.2 IP, 4 ER, 1 H, 7 BB, 1 K)
• Clase hits his second home run of the week. Guerrero homers for the second time in three days.
• Alejandro Kirk doubles for the second game in a row. He previously only had two extra-base hits since his return from the IL a month ago.
• Mason Fluharty makes his 50th appearance of the first half. That's one short of tying Trever Miller for the Blue Jays franchise record.

Sunday, July 12: SDP 5, TOR 4

• Ernie Clement homers, heads into the break hot. The first-time All-Star had a hit in every game this week.
• Gausman makes a quality start, but the Blue Jays drop their sixth straight game with him on the mound. He hasn't collected a win since May 22.
• Jeff Hoffman blows it for his fourth blown save and fifth loss. He was so close to entering the break on a hot streak. 

Toronto Blue Jays Transactions of the Week

• Chad Dallas recalled (and optioned again).
• Yohendrick Piñango optioned.
• Daz Cameron signs an MiLB deal.
• Ryan Sprock in, Tommy Nance out. (Trade thread)
• CJ Van Eyk gets his first MLB call-up.
• Blue Jays select 19 amateur players in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Toronto Blue Jays Injury Updates of the Week

• Max Scherzer makes another rehab start. (4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 5 K)
• Jesús Sánchez is getting ready to start a rehab assignment. 
• Addison Barger will be "reevaluated" after the break. Auspicious or ominous?
• Yimi García is supposedly building back up again.

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