Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays
Official starting lineups are published a few hours before first pitch. They will appear here and on the lineup page as soon as they are posted.
Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays (2026-08-19). Max Scherzer vs Drew Rasmussen at Tropicana Field.
Max Scherzer delivered 5.0 innings allowing one earned run with four strikeouts and two walks in his most recent outing. Across 41.0 innings this season, the veteran right-hander carries a 6.59 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP while holding a 1-5 record. His prior two appearances produced lines of 5.1 innings, two earned runs, four strikeouts, and zero walks, preceded by 6.0 innings with one earned run, five strikeouts, and one walk. He maintains a 6.80 K/9, a 3.73 BB/9, and a 2.41 HR/9 with 11 home runs allowed, showing a downward performance trend. Drew Rasmussen enters the contest with a 2.78 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and 129.1 innings pitched across the campaign. The right-hander logged 5.0 innings with two earned runs, three strikeouts, and one walk in his latest start, followed by 7.0 scoreless frames with eight strikeouts and two walks, and 6.0 scoreless innings featuring ten strikeouts and one walk. Registering a 9.26 K/9, a 1.60 BB/9, and 12 home runs allowed alongside a 0.84 HR/9, he holds a 12-5 record with an upward trend.
Toronto comes into the matchup with a .682 OPS, 502 runs scored, and a .244 team batting average. The Blue Jays pitching staff has compiled a 3.96 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, and the club has gone 7-3 over its last ten games. Tampa Bay counters with a .740 OPS, 571 runs scored, and a .262 batting average on offense. The Rays pitching unit holds a 3.83 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP, while the team has posted a 6-4 mark over its previous ten contests.
