Blue Jays open series against Yankees in the Bronx

By Liam Tremblay — 21 August 2026 — 3 min read

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin a series against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium today. This matchup features the Blue Jays facing the current top wildcard team. The Blue Jays enter this series having recently secured a series victory against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-1 win on Thursday.

This will be the second time in less than a week that the Blue Jays and Yankees have met, as Toronto previously won two out of three games against them last weekend. The Blue Jays have shown recent strong form, with a 7-3 record over their past 10 games. This performance has brought them to within a half-game of an American League wildcard spot as of Friday night.

Pitching Matchups and Roster Updates

For the opening game of the series, Mason Fluharty is expected to start for the Blue Jays. This will be Fluharty’s fourth start of the season, though he has primarily appeared in 64 games out of the bullpen. The 25-year-old left-hander holds a 5-1 record with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 51 innings this season. Fluharty previously pitched against the Yankees last weekend, not allowing a hit over an inning and two-thirds across two appearances.

The Blue Jays relievers are reportedly well-rested, with only Spencer Miles and Louis Varland having pitched in Thursday’s 5-1 victory over the Rays. The Yankees are expected to counter with Cam Schlittler, who has a 10-6 record and a 2.19 ERA. He will be facing Spencer Arrighetti, who has a 7-5 record and a 4.60 ERA, likely opening for him.

Looking ahead in the series, Dylan Cease is projected to take the mound for the Blue Jays on Saturday. Cease has been a key part of the Blue Jays’ rotation this season. Trade-deadline acquisition Jose Soriano is scheduled to make his fourth start as a Blue Jay on Sunday.

In terms of roster changes, Josh Smith has been placed on the injured list due to hamstring inflammation, and Brendan Cellucci has been optioned. These moves have created spots for Spencer Arrighetti and Davis Schneider on the roster.

Looking Ahead in the Schedule

Following this series against the Yankees, the Blue Jays will face a schedule that includes teams with current records below .500. Their upcoming opponents, in descending order of current record, include the Rangers (63-65), Guardians (62-66), Tigers (61-66), Reds (61-67), Orioles (61-67, two games), Mariners (60-68), Royals (55-74, two games), and A’s (49-79). The Tigers are noted to have a positive run differential, which is attributed to the past performances of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize.

In other news, former Blue Jay Jon Berti announced his retirement. Berti was an 18th-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2011 and played for the big club for a brief period before being traded to Miami. He went on to have a career there, playing defense across the field and stealing bases, including a major league-leading 41 in 2022. He concluded his career with a .256/.333/.357 slash line across eight seasons, accumulating 6.5 fWAR in 1731 plate appearances.

Additionally, Didi Gregorious also retired today. The Blue Jays’ team ERA stands at 4.06, with a 1.32 WHIP, and they rank 10th in the league with 1,013 strikeouts. As of Thursday’s win, the Blue Jays’ overall record is 63-66.

Source: bluebirdbanter.com