I'm trying to think of a scenario to explain how the Jays would lose the DH yet still have those players on the bench. I seem to recall a lineup fiasco a few years ago where the teams lineup card was incorrect and the actual DH took the field in the first inning causing this to happen.

Davis is your starting DH. He bats 9th. Corey Patterson starts in center and blows a tire in the seventh inning. Jays decide they'd rather give up the DH than play Snider or Bautista out there, and Rivera in left...

(yeah, it took me a few minutes to come up with something, but...)

Wait, Davis bats second, Patterson ninth. Patterson gets replaced by the pitcher's spot.

Davis is your starting DH. ... Corey Patterson starts in center

Then, sir, I posit your entire scenario is balderdash. That team don't make no World Series!

Oh ye of little imagination. Davis was DHing only because an unfortunate injury which kept Lind out of the lineup. You see, the Jays got very hot in June, and acquired Albert Pujols in early July from the Cardinals to play first and occasionally DH. Pujols, Bautista and some excellent starting pitching did the trick for the home nine.

/easter bunny

Then, sir, I posit your entire scenario is balderdash. That team don't make no World Series!

Especially in April.

If Rauch wasn't so tall, maybe he bats for himself and just gets the take sign. Maybe I go lefty from the pen to PH to gain the platoon advantage?

Some good analysis here. The DH has been dealt with. Since it is the last game of the season, I like Molina & MacDonald as backups but not Woodward, I prefer Wise as a pinch runner and 4th OF. J Rivera, still being on the team means that he has provided value during the season, maybe in a platoon situation. So I would pick Rivera and judge my choice against his results by the All Star game, if he has decent numbers then he has recovered and IMO seems like the best available option.
I like a good bat off the bench in the playoffs. I don't know if it was Sprague who came off the bench in the 92 WS against Atlanta and hit a Hr against Reardon. Derek Bell if I recall was also on the team then. My perfect choice would be Matt Stairs available on the bench. Well what ever the manager decides, hopefully not Rauch. Sometimes no matter what a manager does if it works then he is a genius. Too bad Grady Little keeping Pedro Martinez in the game did not work for him.

This is a tough one. Rivera is the best career hitter but is stinkin' it up this year, Molina's numbers from his last two years plus this year are similar to Rivera's, and McDonald is by far the worst but is hot this year.

If we consider the numbers of this year as representative of the hypothetical year in which this scenario occurs, I have to go with McDonald; otherwise I take my chances with Rivera. None of these guys walk all that well, which is unfortunate because Wilson can be a little wild and postponing the inning until Escobar has a chance to bat is also a good option.

I'd agree...if the Jays were in contention, they have a stronger bench than that.