Toronto Blue Jays Make Ernie Clement Decision for Rays Finale

The Toronto Blue Jays have split the first two games of their highly anticipated series with the American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays 1-1, and while the Rays are comfortable atop the division, each and every game is critical for the Blue Jays in their pursuit of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Both games of the series thus far have been highly competitive, and with Toronto now sitting 1.0 game back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League, one game or two down the stretch could completely change things. Now, ahead of their series finale with the Rays, the team have made a decision on Ernie Clement, who missed Wednesday’s game after reportedly waking with an illness.

GettyErnie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Thankfully, it appears as though Clement’s illness isn’t one that will keep him out for multiple games, as the team have now announced their starting lineup for the series finale, set for 1:10 PM ET on Thursday.

Let's take the series! #BlueJays50pic.twitter.com/A3zNt0BXcb

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 20, 2026

In that lineup, Clement will be hitting 7th and playing second base once more, with the team needing his versatility and the contact hitting down the order after they came up short on Wednesday in dramatic fashion. With the recent injury to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays have relied on different lineups and exploiting matchups to get the job done, and for the most part, the likes of Brett Bateman, Charles McAdoo, Myles Straw and others have been successful in filling their roles.

On the mound, Toronto look to Shane Bieber to win the series, as a victory would mark their seventh straight series win, and with Clement back and the team closing in on full strength beyond Vlad, hopes are high for this team.

While the series is tied 1-1, the Blue Jays offense has been quite effective in this series, as they’ve tallied 26 hits and 16 runs through the first two games, and if the pitching can keep it up at the level they’ve been at in recent times, this is a team that’s primed for success down the stretch.

Clement is clearly a huge part of that, as the Blue Jays are at their best when stringing hits together on a consistent basis, so the player that currently sits fifth in the American League in hits with 135 is the player they need in the bottom part of their lineup to string things together.

Ultimately, this is a team that has post-season experience after reaching the World Series a year ago, so while we’re not quite into the playoffs yet, this is a team that needs to lean on that success from 2025 to help them over the next six weeks, and if they can scratch their way into the post-season, they’re a team that nobody in the AL wants to play when the lights are on brightest.

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