The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday to win two of three games in the series.
Now, they’re in the Bronx for a weekend series against another top American League team, the New York Yankees.
Ahead of the matchup, Blue Jays manager John Schneider made a few notable changes to his lineup.
Blue Jays Announce Ernie Clement Decision
Ernie Clement has four hits in his last eight at-bats and has been batting near the bottom of the order. He hit seventh on Thursday and eighth on Friday.
However, Schneider has elected to move Clement up for the series opener. He’ll instead bat fifth against New York behind cleanup hitter Jesús Sánchez. Clement will also start the game at shortstop.
Via Underdog MLB: “Blue Jays 8/21 B. Bateman CF N. Lukes RF A. Kirk C J. Sánchez DH E. Clement SS K. Okamoto 3B B. Valenzuela 1B C. McAdoo 2B M. Straw LF M. Fluharty SP.”
Blue Jays 8/21
B. Bateman CF
N. Lukes RF
A. Kirk C
J. Sánchez DH
E. Clement SS
K. Okamoto 3B
B. Valenzuela 1B
C. McAdoo 2B
M. Straw LFM. Fluharty SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 21, 2026
Clement’s 2026 Season
Clement is in his sixth MLB season, and this marks the first time he’s earned an MLB All-Star selection.
He’s appeared in 125 games this season and, across 477 at-bats, has recorded 54 runs, 136 hits, nine home runs, and 43 RBIs. He’s batting .285 with a .405 slugging percentage and a .715 OPS.
Looking Around the Blue Jays
Toronto enters the weekend series with a 63-66 record, putting them 14.0 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. However, they’re firmly in the AL Wild Card race, sitting just a half-game behind the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins for a playoff spot.
Toronto Blue Jays Announce Ernie Clement Decision Before Yankees Series