Blue Jays Move Eric Lauer to Bullpen Amid Rotation Shift

The Toronto Blue Jays are reverting to a traditional five-man starting rotation after briefly trying a six-man setup following Shane Bieber's return from Tommy John surgery. Manager John Schneider confirmed that Eric Lauer will move from the starting rotation to the bullpen, where he is expected to serve as a multi-inning relief option. Despite Lauer's strong season performance with an 8-2 record and a 3.21 ERA, recent struggles in August, including giving up multiple home runs, prompted the change. The Blue Jays' five-man rotation will now consist of Bieber, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Kevin Gausman. The team aims to maintain consistency and avoid looking ahead to key series, focusing instead on winning upcoming games against the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. Lauer's bullpen role could help stabilize the relief corps and potentially secure him a postseason roster spot if his performance improves.