TORONTO -- It’s a unique spot the Blue Jays find themselves in, entering Tuesday one game out of an American League Wild Card spot with six home games standing in front of them, but how they got here is what makes it rare.

The Blue Jays’ winding season through residencies in Dunedin, Fla., and Buffalo, N.Y., had led them here, to Toronto, where capacity expanded to 30,000 for the final homestand against the Yankees and Orioles. It’s the closest to “normal” that the Blue Jays have seen since September 2019, when their 67-95 season ended on this same field.

In a perfect world for the Blue Jays, they would've been carrying a postseason spot into this week and tinkering with their rotation for the AL Division Series. They’ll need to do this the hard way, though, and the one characteristic that got them here is what general manager Ross Atkins thinks will propel them forward.

“Perseverance,” Atkins said. “I can’t tell you how many different baseball stakeholders have talked to me about the situation that our players have been in this year and how they’ve overcome so much. I don’t think that they’re thinking of it that way, though. I’m certainly not. I think our players have just, every single day, woken up and said, 'Who do we have to beat today? Who are we playing and how can we be better?' It doesn’t matter where we are. I think you expect that of professional athletes, but when you shake up their environments to a significant extent, it’s not always the norm. These guys have handled things exceptionally well.”

Toronto doesn’t completely control its own fate, but this is close enough. A 4-2 finish would make things very interesting, while a 5-1 finish would get into the territory of a postseason spot being very likely. There’s the possibility of a one-game tiebreaker, too, if the Blue Jays tie for the second Wild Card spot. This race has been tight all September, and that’s not changing.

Atkins sees a team trending in the right direction at the right time. There were a couple of tough losses in Minneapolis against the Twins, but overall, the Blue Jays enter this homestand 18-7 in September, well on the way to their best month of the season.

“Our pitching is better, our defense is better, our offense is deeper and we’re now playing for games that will determine what ultimately matters -- winning and getting into the playoffs and going deep into the playoffs," Atkins said. "I feel very good about the trajectory that this team is on this year. And certainly the trajectory it’s on for years ahead.”

The offense has been leading the way, hitting .279 with an .875 OPS in September entering the homestand. The rotation has been a surprise strength in 2021, but this lineup has always been the Blue Jays’ engine and will need to be if they’re going to make a push for October.

Biggio back just in time
Cavan Biggio is back, activated from the injured list prior to Tuesday’s opener. Biggio first hit the IL with a neck injury in early August and then injured his left elbow while rehabbing. He has hit .227 with a .686 OPS over 12 games in Triple-A Buffalo since resuming his rehab. His role from here will depend on game situations.

“He’s continued to have better at-bats with the team in Triple-A, so we’ll see,” Atkins said. “We’re going position-player heavy, with some confidence in our pitching staff and the way that we can deploy the entire 28-man roster as we have in the prior weeks. I think it could be off the bench.”

Atkins mentioned Biggio’s handedness, versatility and plate discipline as factors that could get him into the lineup. Biggio, who’s thrilled to be back given the spot in the schedule, is open to anything.

“The expectation, I guess, is to contribute any way possible,” Biggio said. “I could play pretty much any position out there, but I think it’s more looking like outfield. But anything could happen in this game. And over the course of a game, in a big situation, whatever’s called for, I’ll be ready for it.”

Gurriel’s return a potential game-changer
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned as a DH for this series, and while the stitches in his right middle finger prevent him from throwing comfortably, he can hit. Manager Charlie Montoyo saw him hitting in the cages on Tuesday and liked what he saw, so expect Gurriel to be in the lineup whenever possible.

The 27-year-old is hitting .364 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in September, tying a club record for the month with the RBIs. He’s as streaky as they come, but having his bat in the lineup extends the order beyond the Blue Jays’ star-studded top five. Gurriel’s big games have been behind many of these September wins, and he could be an X-factor late.