Blue Jays vs Yankees

Barger homered in his first rehab game with Single-A Dunedin on Sunday and will play there again Tuesday. He could rejoin the Blue Jays after that and be activated as soon as Wednesday, but a return Friday for the start of a homestand seems likelier. Barger has been sidelined since early April with sprains in both ankles.

Kirk has spent the past several weeks recovering from a procedure he underwent in early April to repair his fractured left thumb. He was given a six-week return timeline following the operation, which would put him in line to return sometime around mid-May, though an updated estimate will likely emerge as he continues to check off boxes.

Francis dealt with a right shoulder impingement during the 2025 season that landed him in the injured list in June. He was able to commence a throwing program in August after some prior setbacks and had managed to face hitters during live batting practice. However, with the right-hander set for Tommy John surgery, he may go a season and a half without pitching in a game.

Ponce sprained his right ACL in late March, which was a severe enough injury to require season-ending surgery, but he should be available for the start of spring training. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays in December after spending three seasons in Japan. Ponce's start against the Rockies on March 30 -- when he suffered his injury -- was his first appearance in an MLB game since 2021, when he played with the Pirates.

Berrios -- who is coming back from a stress fracture in his elbow -- was roughed up for seven earned runs on six hits and four walks across 3.2 innings in the outing. More will be known about his status after the MRI results are in, but even if he's cleared of any additional damage, Berrios' return to the Blue Jays' active roster doesn't appear imminent. Eric Lauer will continue to hold down a spot in the Toronto rotation.

Estrada was excellent in a bulk-relief outing Saturday, holding the White Sox hitless over four innings while striking out three batters and walking two. However, he threw 66 pitches and would presumably be sidelined for several days as a result, so the Blue Jays opted to shuffle him down to Buffalo in order to beef up the team's bullpen depth. Given Estrada's performance Saturday, it seems very likely he'll be back with the major-league club relatively soon.

The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer came into the game looking for his 3,500th career strikeout -- a milestone only 10 pitchers in MLB history have reached -- but Scherzer not only failed to get it, he got rocked in an outing that mercifully ended after 82 pitches (51 strikes) once Angel Martinez had taken him deep for the second time. Scherzer's time in the Toronto rotation could be close to ending with both Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) getting closer to coming off the IL, but Eric Lauer and Patrick Corbin have little job security as well. Despite his 9.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 10:8 K:BB through 18.2 innings, Scherzer could be able to save his job with a good effort in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Red Sox.

The team estimates that Lukes is still about a week away from starting up a running progression, but a return to hitting still marks a significant milestone in his recovery from a left hamstring strain. It remains unknown when he'll be cleared to return from the injured list, though a timeline could emerge once he begins running.

Bannon mentions that Springer was spotted in the on-deck circle at one point during Monday's matchup for a potential pinch-hit situation, but he was ultimately pulled back to allow Brandon Valenzuela to hit. Springer has been held out of the lineup for two straight games after being struck by a pitch on his left foot Saturday, but he managed to avoid a significant injury and should be back in action for the second game of the series.

After starting the season with a .188 batting average and .423 OPS through 20 games, Heineman will take a seat on the bench for the third time in Toronto's last four games while Brandon Valenzuela starts at catcher.

Rodriguez submitted a 3.83 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 87 appearances (22 starts) for Toronto over the past two seasons, but he headed into spring training with a slim chance at winning a spot in Toronto's Opening Day bullpen after he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in December. The 29-year-old righty is expected to work in relief at Triple-A Buffalo to begin the season.

Boone said that Chivilli has some "acute and chronic stuff going on" in his right shoulder, so the Yankees will shut him down for an extended period of time. The team may provide a timetable for the right-hander's return once his no-throw period is over.

The right-hander's rehab outing Tuesday is the fourth of his rehab assignment as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last March. New York's rotation has been dominant early this season, so the club may let Cole take his time building back up in the minors.

Stanton hopes to resume hitting this weekend, but there's no word on when he will be cleared to run and a timeline for his return to the active roster won't come into focus until that happens. The designated hitter suffered a low-grade right calf strain one week ago.

It's the second straight absence for Rice after he was removed early from Sunday's game against the Orioles due to a left hand contusion, which he sustained on a low pickoff throw. The 26-year-old said Monday that the hand was still sore and preventing him from fully getting his swing off, per Meredith Marakovits of YES Network. Rice should be considered day-to-day while Paul Goldschmidt receives another start at first base.