Rogers bit with rare HR as Blue Jays’ Wild Card chances dwindle

BALTIMORE -- As Pete Alonso’s two-run shot soared out to right field, Blue Jays fans must have all had the same thought: “Of course.”

The Blue Jays dropped their opener to the Orioles on Monday, 4-3, and the clock has almost struck midnight on their season. They lost Brett Bateman to injury, too, and are still without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so falling to 3 1/2 games back of the White Sox for the final AL Wild Card spot was only part of the bad news Monday.

This is what mattered most:

1. The AL Wild Card picture

The Blue Jays (77-80) officially need a miracle.

At 3 1/2 games back of the White Sox (80-76), but without the tiebreaker, the Blue Jays essentially need to make up 4 1/2 games with five remaining (six for the White Sox). You can do the math, and with the Blue Jays’ postseason odds now microscopic, it’s very likely they begin to hold out any veteran players dealing with ailments.

The Blue Jays could be mathematically eliminated as early Tuesday.

2. Trey Yesavage returns to the mound

Encouraging as it was to see Trey Yesavage back on a big league mound Monday night, it’s hard to shake the wonder of what might have been.

With his Blue Jays now clinging to life in the AL Wild Card race, Yesavage made his first start since Aug. 4 after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. He struck out the first batter he faced, getting Dylan Beavers to swing over the top of that magnificent splitter, and everyone quickly remembered what this team has been missing.

“I felt really good,” Yesavage said. “I had my legs under me. My arm felt like I threw 15 pitches. I could have gone more, but it’s smart to progressively go more and more.”

Yesavage gave the Blue Jays two innings on 40 pitches and struck out three, his lone damage coming on a solo shot to Alonso. If the Blue Jays pull off a miracle and stay in this race until the final game or two of the season, Yesavage could give the Blue Jays three or four innings against the Reds. We’re a long way from “Plan A” and a long way from what Toronto envisioned six months ago.

“Go back to Spring Training. We had nine starters,” Schneider said. “You [focus on] who’s going to be the five. You can’t really predict Cody Ponce going down after 2 1/3 innings. Stuff pops up over the course of the year and guys are a little bit older. Trey’s was weird with the knee and you can’t really put a finger on why. This was a year that was very, very unfortunate for a lot of guys at the same time.”

It’s been challenging for those players, too, to watch from the sideline.

“It’s hard,” Yesavage said. “I watched every game from my hotel room down in Dunedin, just chomping at the bit to be back out there with everybody. All good things take time, so I just had to slow down a little bit.”

3. Rogers gives up just his second homer or 2026

The Blue Jays lined up the bullpen perfectly in the bottom of the eighth, with Mason Fluharty on to face the bottom two hitters in the order and then Beavers, the lefty at the top. With a runner on and Alonso coming to the plate, Schneider went to Tyler Rogers, the logical move.

Alonso launched his second homer of the game and 40th of the season, which was just the second allowed by Rogers in 2026. He only allowed one home run in ‘25, as well, a complete rarity for the submarine righty.

“Tyler is our guy,” Schneider said. “You trust him to make pitches like he has all year. Louis [Varland], for a combination of things, wasn’t available for four outs. The bullpen is running hot and running thin. That’s three days in a row for Rogers, so you’ve got to give him credit for taking the ball. I liked him to navigate that situation. When you’re talking about that part of the order, you’re trying to limit damage, and Rogers is one of the best at it.”

Alonso became the first Orioles hitter to homer 40 times in a season since 2024 … when Anthony Santander hit 44. Santander, now with the Blue Jays, has missed the entire season rehabbing from shoulder surgery.