Blue Jays vs. Rays Odds
| Blue Jays Odds | +105 |
| Rays Odds | -125 |
| Over/Under | 8 (-115 / -105) |
| Time | 6:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | MLB.TV |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
The Toronto Blue Jays look to end a five-game losing streak Saturday night as they play their second game in a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays rallied for three runs in the eighth inning last night en route to a 5-2 win.
The Blue Jays will activate Hyun Jin Ryu off the injured list while the Rays match with a southpaw of their own in Ryan Yarbrough.
Can the Blue Jays end their recent skid with a bounce-back win on the road, or will the Rays take down their American League East rivals on Saturday night?
Toronto Blue Jays
Hyun Jin Ryu returns to the mound on Saturday night after a month-long stint on the injured list with forearm inflammation.
The 35-year-old southpaw made two starts before hitting the IL, giving up 11 runs on 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Ryu has been trending downward as he's aged, last season finishing with a 4.45 xERA and career-worst .265 xBA. He doesn't walk many batters and isn't an overpowering pitcher; rather, he relies on location and movement to put away the opposition.
There is no word whether Ryu will be on a pitch count, but he did throw 74 pitches in a Triple-A rehab start one week ago. He gave up five runs — two earned — in five innings.
If Ryu struggles, or is on a pitch count, the Blue Jays bullpen has struggled. They have the sixth-worst ERA in MLB.
Tampa Bay Rays
Ryan Yarbrough made his season debut in the beginning of May. After getting hit around by the Oakland Athletics, he threw five shutout innings his last time out against the Seattle Mariners.
Yarbrough doesn't walk many batters and is most effective at Tropicana Field. His splits are night and day, as opponents slashed just .242/.279/.393 against the lefty at home compared to .292/.333/.519 on the road.
The southpaw faced the Blue Jays five times last season — including three starts — and had a 4.88 ERA in 24 innings. His biggest issue with Toronto's lineup was limiting the long ball, as he gave up six home runs during that timeframe.
Yarbrough has slowly built up his pitch count during the first few starts of 2022 but has yet to eclipse 70 pitches. He will likely see an increased workload but rarely pitches past the sixth inning in general.
The Rays bats do hit left-handed pitching slightly better than right, but the splits are not notable. Tampa Bay has a top-10 offense in terms of wRC+ despite early-season struggles from Randy Arozarena and Kevin Kiermaier, among others.
Blue Jays vs. Rays Pick
I am typically a consistent fader of Hyun Jin Ryu, and Saturday presents a solid opportunity to back the Rays against the slumping Blue Jays. But the line is priced into Ryu likely exiting early after working back from injury during the past month.
Yarbrough also tends to be inconsistent at times, and despite performing better at home, I don't trust him against the Blue Jays' middle of the order.
I lean toward the first five over of four runs. It's a juiced total over at BetMGM, but I think both offenses should be able force Ryu and Yarbrough into early trouble.
Neither pitcher has shown a ton of promise over the last season and now draw a matchup where the opposition has seen them multiple times. The familiarity should reign supreme on Saturday night en route to a first half over.
Pick: Lean First Five Over 4 (-120)
