Blue Jays Clinch Playoff Spot Amid Injury Worries

The Toronto Blue Jays have clinched a postseason berth but are facing mounting concerns as injuries and a late-season skid threaten their bid to win the AL East and secure a wild-card bye. Shortstop Bo Bichette is out for the remainder of the regular season, starters Chris Bassitt and trade-deadline pickup Ty France are on the injured list, and Anthony Santander was recently activated. Toronto has lost five of six games, including a 4-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in which Nathaniel Lowe had two RBI singles, Carlos Narváez hit a two-run double, and Kevin Gausman allowed four runs. The New York Yankees have cut Toronto’s division lead to one game; the Jays still hold the tiebreaker but their magic number for the division sits at four with five games remaining. Questions remain about late-game reliability and rotation health — closer Jeff Hoffman has been inconsistent (32 saves, seven blown saves) and Max Scherzer has struggled recently — leaving Toronto with important decisions and urgency heading into October.