Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a single, walk, and was hit by a pitch in his five plate appearances on Monday. The first basemen scored once during the 6-2 win over the Mariners.

Fantasy Impact: The good news is that Guerrero Jr. has collected at least one hit in each of his last 13 games. The bad news is the slugger only has one home run and four RBI during that stretch with a modest .292 batting average. The extra-base hits and run production will return for Guerrero, so just keep locking him into lineups in all formats.

Jordan Romano was not available on Monday and is day-to-day with a non-COVID illness, according to Charlie Montoyo. (Source: Ben Nicholson-Smith on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Romano was in the pen warming up without a baseball on Monday, so this doesn't sound like anything serious. Those in weekly leagues likely started Romano because the news of his unavailability broke so late, but it certainly seems possible that he'll return within a day or two. He has been one of the best fantasy closers in the game so far with 12 saves and a 3.07 ERA, so hopefully he doesn't need to miss much, if any, time.

Matt Chapman went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run on Monday against the Mariners.

Fantasy Impact: Chapman has been in a terrible slump lately, but his 431-foot home run on Monday was a reminder of his raw power. Although he has a .185 batting average, his 26.6% strikeout rate would be his lowest since 2019, and his xBA is .233. Given that his hard-hit rate is in the top five percent of MLB, fantasy managers should hold tight and wait for him to eventually turn it around.

Bo Bichette went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a home run against the Mariners on Monday.

Fantasy Impact: Bichette has been slumping of late and has had a down season, so it was good to see him get going here after a hitless weekend. He did strike out once in the game, giving him 40 for the season and a 25.3% strikeout rate. Bichette will get going eventually and, other than his inflated strikeout rate, his batted ball profile doesn't look all that much different from last year. Avoid the urge to sell low and expect Bichette to turn things around soon.

Yusei Kikuchi allowed one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings on Monday against the Mariners. He struck out six and earned the win, moving to 2-1.

Fantasy Impact: Kikuchi has been on a roll of late, allowing two or fewer runs in three straight starts to lower his ERA to 3.38. His success lately can be attributed, in part, to him combining his slider and cutter into a single pitch that has had excellent results. It's unclear whether hitters will catch up to Kikuchi's new pitch mix once updated scouting reports go around, but for now, he's a must-start option, particularly considering that he's faced and succeeded against a number of tough offenses. He will take on the Reds in his next start.

Toronto Blue Jays 2B Cavan Biggio (COVID-19 IL) has been reinstated and has been optioned to the AAA. (Source: Toronto Blue Jays on twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Biggio had been terrible to begin the season before picking up COVID-19 and the reinstatement to the AAA thus makes sense. The second basemen was batting .043 before getting COVID and it is safe to say he may not be back up to the majors this season with Santiago Espinal playing fantastic at second base.

Alek Manoah allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings on Sunday against the Rays. He struck out four and took the loss, falling to 4-1.

Fantasy Impact: Manoah deserved a better fate on Sunday, as he was victimized by poor defense despite giving up just two hard-hit balls in the game. He continues to pitch extremely well with a 1.71 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, though his 8.36 K/9 rate does leave a bit to be desired. Even though his FIP and xFIP are higher than his ERA, there is no reason to expect major regression from Manoah, and he should be in your lineup for every start, including in his next one against the Reds.

George Springer is back in the Blue Jays' lineup for their Sunday game against the Rays. He is batting first and starting at DH.

Fantasy Impact: The fact that Springer is at DH is a sign that the Blue Jays want to be careful with the sprained ankle that forced him out of Friday's game. But considering he's back in the lineup after missing Saturday's game only is a great sign, of course. Expect him to return to the outfield soon and for the ankle not to be an issue unless he has a setback.

Danny Jansen went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in his return from the IL on Saturday against the Rays.

Fantasy Impact: Jansen hit two balls at least 97.9 miles per hour on Saturday, an excellent sign that he is fully healthy and ready to contribute. He now has three home runs in just 12 plate appearances on the season and has yet to strike out. There's a long way to go before Jansen can get back in fantasy managers' good graces but he has played as well as anyone in his limited time. Even in single-catcher formats, he's someone who fantasy managers should keep on their watch list and consider adding.

Teoscar Hernandez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run on Saturday against the Rays.

Fantasy Impact: Hernandez's home run was a huge shot, traveling 414 feet and leaving the bat at 109.3 miles per hour. It was just his second of the season, but he's had just 47 plate appearances because of injury, so fantasy managers can't read anything into that. Hernandez is hitting the ball as hard as ever and his 93.6 miles per hour average exit velocity would actually be a career-best if it holds. Continue to start him and value him as a top-20 outfielder, minimum.

Hyun Jin Ryu allowed one run on four hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings on Saturday against the Rays. He struck out three and did not factor into the decision.

Fantasy Impact: Ryu was eased back into action after missing several weeks with a forearm strain, going through the Rays order twice before being pulled. He had eight whiffs and a 25% CSW rate over his 71 pitches, but in the end, all that mattered was that his velocity held and he emerged from the start healthy. Both were true on Saturday, meaning that fantasy managers can start to regain confidence in Ryu, at least as much as they had coming into the year. He will take on the Reds in his next start.

Kevin Gausman allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk on Friday against the Rays. He struck out eight and took the loss, falling to 3-2.

Fantasy Impact: Gausman missed plenty of bats on Friday, generating 16 whiffs and tallying an impressive 34% CSW rate. He was betrayed by his defense a bit in the start, as evidence by his 1.27 FIP in the game, but considering that this is what a "bad" Gausman start looks like, managers should be entirely satisfied with him. He has walked two batters all year compared to 54 strikeouts, and continues to pitch like the ace the Blue Jays hoped they were signing. He will take on the Mariners in his next start.

Jose Berrios allowed five runs on five hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday against the Yankees. He struck out four and took the loss, falling to 2-2.

Fantasy Impact: It was more of the same for Berrios on Wednesday, who now has a 5.82 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. As has been the case so often this season, batters hit the ball well consistently against Berrios, as he allowed eight hard-hit balls. His velocity isn't an issue and his spin rates are down just slightly, but batters are just swinging and making contact more than they ever have. Hopefully he can figure things out but he should remain on your bench until he does, including in his next start against the Mariners.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base on Tuesday against the Yankees.

Fantasy Impact: Gurriel hasn't been particularly productive this season, and his .243/.295/.369 slash line would represent a career-worst across the board. But his average exit velocity and hard hit percentage are actually career-bests, so there's certainly hope that he can turn things around. Gurriel is more of a filler player at this point who can chip in everywhere but not come close to winnng you a category. He's worth rostering, but don't be above benching him in any given week depending on the rest of your options.

Ross Stripling allowed four runs on five hits and a walk over four innings in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians. He struck out three and took the loss, falling to 0-1.

Fantasy Impact: Stripling clearly didn't have his best stuff on Saturday, and his velocity was down about two miles per hour. He induced just five whiffs and allowed six hard-hit balls over his four innings of work. Stripling is what he is at this point - an average fantasy pitcher who will be inconsistent from one start to the next, but won't hurt you too often. His 3.29 FIP and 3.49 xFIP suggest that he's pitched better than his 4.70 ERA shows, and he should likely see his numbers improve a bit going forward, so long as the velocity drop we saw Saturday was just an outlier. He will take on the Rays in his next start.

Santiago Espinal went 2-for-8 with three walks, two runs scored, and an RBI in Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

Fantasy Impact: Espinal now has his OBP up to .343, and he continues to be a five-category producer, albeit a relatively low-end one. His xBA ranks in the top 10 percent of baseball, so he should continue to get on base and contribute in runs and stolen bases. He doesn't have enough power to offer a ton of upside, but with his speed and on-base ability, he should be relevant in deeper mixed leagues going forward.

Raimel Tapia went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

Fantasy Impact: Despite the big game, Tapia, usually a reliable source of batting average, is hitting just .222 in the early going. He may be pressing a bit with Toronto, as his 2.1% walk rate and 47.9% O-Swing% are both by far a career-worst. He's batting low in the order which should limit his chances for runs scored, which is usually one of the categories in which he contributes. His three steals to this point simply aren't enough to outweigh how little he helps in other categories, so he doesn't need to be rostered, or at least not started, in anything other than AL-only leagues.

Alejandro Kirk went 1-for-4 with a solo home run on Thursday against the Guardians.

Fantasy Impact: Kirk's home run, his first of the year, left the bat at 105.5 miles per hour, one of the hardest balls he has hit all year. Kirk makes a ton of contact - his 11% strikeout rate ranks in the top five percent of the league - but he just isn't hitting the ball nearly as hard as he did last season. There's more power in his bat than he's shown, so even in single-catcher formats, he should be worth starting going forward.

Nate Pearson threw a 28-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday with a stand-in hitter. (Source: Scott Mitchell on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Pearson will be heading to Florida to continue to build up his arm and then move to Buffalo. He is still a good way away from pitching in Toronto, but he is said to be healthy right now.

Blue Jays C Zack Collins went 2-for-5 at the plate on Sunday, hitting a three run home run, and struck out twice in the Jays' 8-7 loss to the Astros.

Fantasy Impact: Collins rejuvenated some energy into the Toronto lineup on Sunday as they were down three runs in the sixth and could not seem to get anything going, then in the sixth inning on a 3-0 count Collins was given the green light and proceeded to take the pitch yard for a three run home run to tie the game. The catcher is now batting .303 so far this season and has three home runs already on the year and if he continues to perform this way he may solidify himself at the top of the depth chart for the Jays at catcher. With catcher being such a weak position in fantasy Collins needs to be rostered and if he is available in any league he should be picked up immediately.