The Toronto Blue Jays are navigating a turbulent season, with injuries piling up across the roster. The rotation has taken the hardest hit: Cody Ponce is out for the year, while José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Max Scherzer all currently reside on the injured list. Although promising young arm Trey Yesavage has returned, the starting staff still carries significant question marks.

Amidst this uncertainty, an unexpected bright spot has emerged in veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin. His surprising performance has shifted the team's depth, and according to Fansided.com's Zachary Rotman, it could spell the end for another lefty in the rotation: Eric Lauer.

"Patrick Corbin has outpitched him," Rotman writes. "And while the Jays could move Lauer to the bullpen, there's reason to believe that if he does not improve, they'll want to cut bait with him altogether, whether they're able to find a trade suitor or not."

Lauer's 2025 season was a strong one—he posted a 3.18 ERA over 104.2 regular-season innings and a sharp 3.12 ERA in the postseason. But 2026 has been a different story. Through 31.1 innings, his ERA has ballooned to 6.03, a stark drop-off that makes him a liability rather than a reliable arm.

If you told Blue Jays fans before the season that Lauer would be outperformed by Corbin, they'd likely have been shocked. But baseball moves fast, and with Corbin providing stability, the front office now has room to consider moving on from Lauer—whether via trade or otherwise—as the trade deadline approaches.

For a team already dealing with a battered rotation, every decision matters. Letting go of a struggling arm might be the tough but necessary move to keep the Blue Jays' season on track.