The Blue Jays enter the series with the Guardians at 68-70, just 1.5 games back in the wild card race.
The Toronto Blue Jays have made several roster moves ahead of Tuesday's big series opener with the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
After sweeping the Seattle Mariners over the weekend at Rogers Centre, the Jays are now 68-70 and just 1.5 games back of Cleveland in the battle for the third and final wild card spot, so they'll have an opportunity to make up real ground on the team they are chasing in this series.
If the series goes the other way, then the Jays could find themselves with too much ground to make up at the end of the year. Toronto currently has 24 games to play.
As for the moves, the Jays have brought up left-hander pitcher Ricky Tiedemann, as well as infielder Sean Keyes. They are on the roster as part of September call-ups, where the Jays could bring up one additional pitcher and one position player.
Beyond that, the Jays have activated left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply from the injured list and they have brought back utility player Josh Smith. Outfielder Daz Cameron was designated for assignment.
Tiedemann, 24, was the top prospect in the organization at one point, but he's battled arm injuries over the last several years. He made his major league debut earlier this season, tossing 1.2 innings and giving up one earned run. He struck out two and should help bolster Toronto's bullpen.
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Joe Mantiply (35) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn ImagesKeys, 23, is a power-hitter who can rotate between the infield and outfield. He also debuted earlier this year, hitting .167 in 36 at-bats. He did hit a home run and drove in five.
Mantiply, 35, is a nine-year veteran of the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Jays. He helped Arizona get to the World Series in 2023 and has gone 12-13 lifetime with a 4.35 ERA. He has made 17 appearances for the Jays, pitching to a 2.04 ERA this season. He's struck out 16 in that time.
Smith is a longtime member of the Texas Rangers, who helped them win the World Series in 2023. A valuable utility player, he can play all over the diamond. He was acquired at the trade deadline and was on the injured list with a hamstring issue.
Elsewhere for the Blue Jays
Longtime Jays team Dr. David Lawrence is joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the details surrounding the move are still a little unclear at this point. Here's what we know.
