Mason Fluharty is getting the ball tonight, and it's not his usual role for the Blue Jays.
Toronto announced the 25-year-old left-hander will start against New York, according to the team.
Fluharty has appeared in 65 games this season, almost entirely out of the bullpen.
Handing him a start is the kind of move that usually points to a rotation stretched thin.
Toronto has leaned on bulk relievers and unconventional starters before during this stretch run, and this looks like another version of that plan.
There's no word yet on how long Fluharty is expected to go before the bullpen takes over.
Given his workload as a reliever all year, a short outing followed by a heavy bullpen night seems like the likely setup.
Why this move matters against this opponent
The Yankees aren't an easy lineup to hand to a pitcher making his first career start, or close to it.
Toronto's rotation has been searching for stability for weeks, with injuries piling up across multiple starters.
The Blue Jays sit at 62-66, one game back of a wild-card spot, making every decision like this carry extra weight.
If Fluharty gives Toronto a couple of clean innings, the bullpen behind him becomes the real story of the night.
If it goes sideways early, it puts even more strain on relievers who've already carried a heavy load this stretch.
Either way, tonight is a real test of how far Toronto is willing to stretch its pitching depth down the stretch as they need their bullpen to come across one again as their starting rotation rests up.
Do you trust Mason Fluharty in a starting role against the Yankees?
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