The Toronto Blue Jays enter this week searching for stability after an uneven start to the season.
Toronto has a negative 4-5 record following a stretch that included five losses in six games to two of the worst teams from the 2025 season.
Defensive mistakes, a relatively slow start at the plate and a growing list of injuries affecting both the lineup and pitching staff have all contributed to the ongoing situation.
Despite that, the Blue Jays have done enough to remain near the top of the American League East, only trailing the 7-2 New York Yankees and tied with the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, the schedule isn't offering Toronto any respite, as the next test arrives on Monday with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who come in at 7-2 after sweeping the Washington Nationals and scoring 31 runs against them.
For Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman, the World Series rematch brings a familiar feeling, with the veteran acknowledging that facing the Dodgers this early feels like an extension of last fall's series.
“It feels like we never left, to be honest,” Gausman said. “It feels like we’re getting ready for Game 8.
“Obviously, there’s no Game 8. It’s kind of nostalgic. I threw my bullpen yesterday. It was weird for me to play catch before that. Just going up to the steps to the bullpen, I was remembering the last time I did this.”
The last game between both franchises took place in the deciding Game 7 of the World Series back on Nov. 1, when Toronto came within one win of a title before losing in extra innings.
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Gausman is scheduled to start the second game of this series, facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a matchup that will mirror last fall’s Game 6.
The first game of the Dodgers-Blue Jays series takes place on Monday with the first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET.
