Seattle at Toronto, May 16-18

The Mariners were off to a pretty decent start until they suddenly lost 10 of 11 games. Things have not gone according to plan in the outfield. Off-season acquisition Jesse Winker has underwhelmed in his first taste of AL action, hot prospect Jarred Kelenic has once more forced his way back to the minors, and right fielder Mitch Haniger is out for the long term with a Grade 2 High Ankle sprain. Rookie centre fielder Julio Rodriguez, just 21 years old, might have made it back to the minors himself were it for Kelenic being even worse and Haniger getting hurt. So after hitting just .205/.284/.260 in April young Rodriguez has started treating American League pitchers rather like he did AA pitchers when he made it there for 46 games last season and abused them to the tune of .362/.461/.546, which is the sort of thing that will get your attention.

We won't be seeing our old chum Robbie Ray, who beat the Mets on Sunday. He hasn't been the ace anyway - that would be Tuesday's starter, Logan Gilbert who the Mariners drafted with the 18th pick in 2018 (the Jays took Jordan Groshans with the 12th pick.) Gilbert arrived in the majors almost exactly a year ago and his first five starts this season were disturbingly impressive. He's looked slightly more human his last two times out. The Mariners will get to renew their acquaintance with Yusei Kikuchi, who made 70 starts for Seattle over the last three years and went 15-24, 4.97 - the Jays clearly believe that, as with Robbie Ray, there's more there to be unlocked.