3 biggest Blue Jays storylines to watch in August

The Toronto Blue Jays just had an eventful trade deadline where they addressed some of the key aspects of their roster. In doing so, they sincerely hope that it has put them in a strong position to compete for the American League East division title, and ultimately a spot in the postseason as a result.

With a big month ahead of them, let’s take a look at three of the biggest storylines that will surround the Blue Jays in the coming weeks.

3 biggest Blue Jays storylines to watch in August

#1 Can Shane Bieber be the difference maker for the Blue Jays?

Shane Bieber may have been the biggest addition at the deadline. While Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland provides some stability to the bullpen, nothing beats the potential impact that the former AL Cy Young winner could have with Toronto. In his seven-year MLB career, Bieber sports a 62-32 record with a 3.22 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, along with a whopping 958 strikeouts in just 843 innings pitched over 136 games played.

However, Bieber is coming off Tommy John surgery, and it will be hard to predict what version of Bieber will show up for the Jays down the stretch. Will it be a struggling Bieber trying to find his groove once again after over a year’s layoff? Or will it instantly be the dominant Bieber of old that everyone is desperately hoping for? The Jays and their fans should find out about that soon as the latest optimistic rehab news indicates he will likely be making his debut for the club in short order.

#2 Will key players return from the IL in time to make an impact for the Jays?

The Jays have encountered a slew of injuries to some of their key players this season. Despite Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk making their way back to the Toronto lineup in recent days, there is still a handful of potential impactful players still on the mend.

That includes bullpen stalwarts Nick Sandlin and Yimi García, power-hitting outfielders Anthony Santander and George Springer, slick-fielding infielder Andrés Giménez, along with pitching hopefuls Bowden Francis and Alek Manoah.

The main question will be, which of these players will be able to make it back in time to provide any significant contributions to the team in their playoff run? Among that group, both Springer and Giménez appear to be the first positional players to make it back, while Bieber being could come off the IL relatively soon as well.

However, for Sandlin, García and Manoah, their timeline to return is a little longer, but optimistically they could be back later this month. As for Francis and Santander, they will likely be returning closer to the end of the season, if at all, making their potential overall impact likely negligible by then.

Hopefully, the bulk of the injured players don’t end up coming back too late and can help the Blue Jays with their playoff hopes.

#3 Can the Blue Jays extend and solidify their AL East division lead?

After a forgettable 2024 campaign, many Jays fans would have been happy if Toronto just managed to have a winning record and compete for a playoff spot. Not only have the Blue Jays put themselves in playoff contention, but they have a legitimate shot at winning the AL East division title.

By finishing first, it could give Toronto an easier path during the postseason, and they would potentially get some extra rest with a first-round bye in the Wild Card round. They could also get more favourable matchups and better set up their pitching rotation. As a result, it will be crucial that the Jays solidify their hold of the top spot with a strong August so that they don’t need to overwork themselves in September just to get the job done.