Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt ramping up for ALDS
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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt is slated to pitch multiple innings during an intrasquad game Thursday.
The Intrasquad workout will be the final checkpoint towards the right-hander's availability for the ALDS roster.
Chris Bassitt struck out Daulton Varsho, then got Vladimir Guerrero swinging through strike three on a 69-mph curveball, which I expect Vladdy will be hearing about all evening.
Bassitt last pitched on September 18, and was then (retroactively) placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to lower back inflammation.
The timing has worked out well enough that the 15-day minimum will expire just prior to Game 1 of the ALDS, and Bassitt is expected to be part of Toronto's pitching mix.
What will be the Blue Jays ALDS rotation look like beyond Kevin Gausman in game 1 and Shane Bieber in game 2?
How the Jays' pitching plans will shake out is anyone's guess, beyond the expectation of Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber acting in traditional starting roles.
A healthy Bassitt might be viewed as a favorite for another rotation spot, and the Blue Jays are also weighing both ends of the experience spectrum in future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer and rookie Trey Yesavage.
One pitcher who won't be involved in at least the ALDS roster is Jose Berrios, who went on the 15-day IL on September 25 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow.
Initial scans didn't indicate any structural damage, the diagnosis was supported once Berrios got a second opinion.
Since Berrios hasn't started throwing, it is hard to project whether or not he could be available if the Blue Jays make it deeper into October.
The Blue Jays had already made the decision to move the longtime starter into a bullpen role a couple of weeks ago, and Berrios likely would've continued to work as a reliever during the postseason.
When the ALDS shifts to either Boston or New York, manager John Schneider will have a decision to make based on where the series stands.
If Bassitt can be an option as a veteran starter on the road, it would be a huge lift. Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, and rookie Trey Yesavage are other options as well.
Some of them will also work out of the bullpen in the best-of-five series.
With the Red Sox and Yankees going three games, the winner should be in trouble in terms of arms come this weekend.
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