Returning Dylan Cease, Blue Jays bid to slow hot Phillies

Dylan Cease is scheduled to return to the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation on Tuesday night for the middle contest of the three-game series with the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

Cease, a right-hander, has been on the injured list with a strained hamstring and has not pitched since May 24.

Max Scherzer is expected to return from the IL for Toronto to start on Wednesday. He has not pitched since April 24 because of right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.

Cristopher Sanchez struck out 10 in seven innings and Adolis Garcia hit a two-run homer to help the Phillies beat the Blue Jays 5-2 on Monday night.

Cease (3-3, 3.05 ERA) will face the Phillies for the third time in his career. He is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA against them in two starts.

The Phillies on Tuesday are scheduled to turn to fellow right-hander Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.31 ERA), who is 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven career starts against the Blue Jays.

The series opener marked the return to Toronto for Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, who was the Blue Jays' bench coach for three seasons. Before Monday, his last game in Toronto was a 5-4 loss in 11 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

Obviously, Mattingly is more familiar with the Blue Jays than other opponents he has faced this season.

"It's a little less (time) than having to totally go through a club you don't know anything about," he said. "Like a lot of the White Sox guys we just got done playing, there were a lot of new faces that I had not seen play before. It makes me more comfortable. I don't know if it makes it easier, but I definitely kind of know who these guys are, in a sense, and how they use them. But you still got to get outs, and make plays, and all that kind of thing."

The Phillies are 28-12 over their past 40 games and 6-1 over their past seven.

Ernie Clement continued his hot run for the Blue Jays on Monday, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run. In his past 29 games, he is batting .355 with six home runs, six doubles, a triple and 16 RBIs.

Not so hot has been Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is stuck at three home runs for the season and has yet to hit one in Toronto.

"I always tell the guys, don't worry about me," Guerrero told MLB.com. "I'm going to be good. When I get hot, I'll get hot. I don't go up there to miss."

It did not happen on Monday, as he went 0-for-4 while striking out twice with runners in scoring position.

Over his past 30 games, Guerrero is batting .221 with one homer and nine RBIs. For the season, he is batting .282 with three homers and 25 RBIs.

"I've been feeling good, and I've been hitting the ball hard," Guerrero said. "Things are going to go my way. At one point, the baseball is going to be good to me. Right now, I'm hitting the ball hard, just out. I know that's not going to be all year."

Toronto manager John Schneider said: "I want him to keep going, keep understanding he's the face of our team. He's our best hitter. It's going to come around for him. It takes a game. It takes a swing."

Toronto's Tommy Nance returned Monday from a forearm issue to pitch in the ninth inning. Fellow right-hander Yariel Rodriguez was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

--Field Level Media