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The Blue Jays demoted Eric Lauer to the bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays have demoted struggling starter Eric Lauer to the bullpen amidst a shakeup to their starting rotation.

On Saturday, the Blue Jays announced they have rejigged their rotation for the next week. Today, ace Kevin Gausman starts against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of a three-game set. On Sunday, Patrick Corbin will take the mound in Game 3 of the Guardians series, while Dylan Cease has been given an extra day of rest and pushed to Monday against the Boston Red Sox in the first game of that series. Tuesday sees the season debut of top prospect and playoff hero Trey Yesavage in Game 2, while on Wednesday, Max Scherzer takes the mound against the Red Sox in Game 3.

With the starting rotation being changed up, that leaves Lauer as the odd man out. According to MLB’s Keegan Matheson, Lauer has been demoted to the bullpen.

“News: Trey Yesavage is back. He’ll pitch Tuesday for the #BlueJays Eric Lauer has been moved to the bullpen,” Matheson wrote on X.

Eric Lauer Has Struggled This Season

2026 has not been kind to Lauer, to say the least. Lauer has pitched in 5 games for the Blue Jays, posting a tough 6.75 ERA, while allowing 6 home runs in just 22.2 IP. Lauer’s Statcast page does not paint an encouraging picture, either, as his advanced metrics do not look promising. For the Blue Jays, it was an easy decision to send Lauer to the bullpen after his rough start.

It is also worth noting that Lauer has openly criticized the Blue Jays, both for using an opener in one of his recent starts and also for their arguments against him when he lost in salary arbitration after last season. With the Blue Jays having several starting pitchers returning to full health, it is possible the team may look to trade Lauer to another team. While his trade value is at the lowest it has been in a long time, another franchise may feel they can help turn his season around.

Max Scherzer Could be the Next to Lose His Starting Rotation Job

In addition to Lauer, another Blue Jays starter who could lose his role in the starting rotation is the legend Scherzer, who has been one of the worst starters in baseball this season. At age 41, Scherzer is nearing the end of his career, and his numbers this year have been horrible, as he’s posted a 9.64 ERA in 5 starts, while allowing 7 home runs in just 18.2 IP. His bWAR is -0.8, so he is actively hurting the team right now.

While Scherzer is a legend of the game and a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done, it really does seem like he is nearing the end of the road. Scherzer is just one strikeout shy of 3,500 for his career, so the Blue Jays will give him the chance to get it on Wednesday against the Red Sox at home, and then may decide to yank him out of their starting rotation.