Right-hander Shane Bieber is expected to make his first start of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday afternoon in the middle contest of their three-game series with the visiting Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays seized a 4-2 victory in the series opener on Monday to reach .500 for the first time since May 29.
“We got punched in the face a bit, and we’re making our way back,” said Toronto right-hander Dylan Cease, who started on Monday.
Toronto had an 11-5 advantage in hits but stranded 13 runners in going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Bieber (4-2, 3.57 ERA in 2025) has been out with elbow inflammation and had been scheduled to start the opener of the three-game series. But the former Cy Young Award winner was moved to Tuesday after the postponement Sunday of the decisive game of the series against the Chicago Cubs.
Instead, Cease started in the opener against the Astros and did not factor into the decision after he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Bieber is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four career starts against Houston, which will start right-hander Peter Lambert (6-4, 3.23 ERA) on Tuesday.
He has faced Toronto once, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in three scoreless innings in relief in 2024.
Bieber allowed five earned runs in five-plus innings Wednesday in his final rehabilitation start for Triple-A Buffalo. He reached 80 pitches.
“Results-wise, not great,” Bieber said after the start. “I left a lot out there to be wanted. I feel like it was a step in the right direction when you look at it objectively. I got my pitch count up to 80, and I’m feeling great, so I’m looking forward to the next step.”
The Blue Jays were returning from a 4-1 road trip to open a 10-game homestand with the series against the Astros, who completed a 4-2 homestand on Sunday before starting a seven-game trip.
The Astros opened the trip without reliever Bryan Abreu, who was placed on the restricted list on Monday.
Manager Joe Espada said Abreu is “taking care of a personal matter.” Espada added that the club is “giving Abreu some time” to deal with it.
Logan VanWey was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Abreu’s place on the roster. VanWey pitched the eighth inning on Monday and gave up a run on three singles and a sacrifice fly.
Houston lost shortstop Jeremy Pena during the game. He left with what has been described as a right hamstring cramp after fouling off the first pitch of the sixth inning. He was replaced by Brice Matthews.
Pena missed more than a month this season with a strained right hamstring incurred April 11 at Seattle. He returned May 18.
“I took the swing, and then on the follow-through I felt my leg just cramp up a little bit,” Pena said. “Once I straightened it out and walked it off a little bit, it felt a lot better. But we want to be kind of proactive and see how it feels tomorrow.”
He said he doesn’t think the cramp is related to the earlier hamstring injury. Pena had a single and two stolen bases on Monday.
Toronto optioned outfielder Yohendrick Pinango to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday to make room for infielder Luis Arias, who had been acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations.
–Field Level Media
