The Toronto Blue Jays are streamlining their pitching approach, reverting to a traditional five-man starting rotation after a brief experiment with a ⁤six-man system. The move,⁤ announced Monday, sees Eric Lauer transitioning to a⁤ bullpen ⁢role.

The rotation will now feature ⁣a formidable lineup of⁣ Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios. ⁣Bassitt, Berrios, and Bieber are⁤ slated to ⁢take the mound against the Cincinnati Reds starting Monday – a Labor Day⁤ matinee with a 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch – ‍while Gausman, Scherzer, and Bassitt will‍ face the New york Yankees in a weekend series.

This⁢ adjustment comes after a period of uncertainty surrounding the rotation following Bieber’s return in mid-August from Tommy John surgery. Integrating Bieber back‍ into the mix prompted the initial six-man⁢ approach, but it proved unsustainable.

Lauer’s recent start against the Minnesota Twins didn’t go as planned,with the left-hander allowing eight runs (six earned) over 4.2 ‍innings, including four home runs. Though, his overall performance this season has been ⁢a meaningful‍ positive for the ⁢Blue Jays. In 21