The Toronto Blue Jays have made strategic adjustments to their starting rotation for the upcoming series against the New York Yankees. Manager John Schneider announced on Friday that the team will start Chris Bassitt on Saturday and Max Scherzer on Sunday, providing Scherzer with an additional day to recover from back tightness.

Max Scherzer's Recovery Scherzer, a 41-year-old right-hander, experienced back tightness during his last outing against Milwaukee. "Just wanted to give Max an extra day with the upper back thing feeling better. He threw a side yesterday," Schneider explained. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, has been performing well with a 5-2 record and a 4.11 ERA in 13 starts this season. Since August 1, he has a 4-1 record with a 3.36 ERA.

Chris Bassitt's Performance Bassitt, a 36-year-old right-hander, has been solid this season with an 11-7 record and a 4.10 ERA. "After Max's last start he was kind of ready for it if need be and should be good to go," Schneider added.

Playoff Push The Blue Jays are aiming for their first division title since 2015 and entered the series with a three-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. The team is also looking forward to the potential return of outfielder Anthony Santander, who has been sidelined since May 29 with a partially dislocated left shoulder. Santander could start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday with Buffalo.

Bullpen Adjustments In other roster moves, the Blue Jays recalled right-hander Braydon Fisher from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned right-hander Dillon Tate to the Bisons. These adjustments are part of the team's broader strategy to strengthen their bullpen as they push for a playoff spot.