<img class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual" src="https://display.blogto.com/articles/20250820-toronto-blue-jays.jpg?w=1200&amp;cmd=resize_then_crop&amp;height=630&amp;quality=70&amp;format=jpeg" width="100%" /><p>A change to the Toronto Blue Jays'&nbsp;starting rotation on Wednesday morning is generating plenty of conversation.</p><p>With Shane Bieber set to make his Blue Jays debut on Friday, John Schneider needed to decide on whether to go with a six-man rotation moving forward or move one of his starters to the bullpen.</p><p>That decision has now been made, as Schneider confirmed this morning that Eric Lauer will be headed to the pen to make room for the Jays'&nbsp;new acquisition.</p><p>This is somewhat of a controversial decision given that Lauer has arguably been the Jays'&nbsp;best starter this season.</p><p>&nbsp;<a href="https://dailyhive.com/toronto/lauer-mlb-comeback-blue-jays" target="_blank">Signed to a minor-league contract in December</a>, Lauer was called up from Triple-A Buffalo in late April and has been excellent ever since. In 14 starts and 20 appearances overall, he&rsquo;s put up an impressive 2.76 ERA with 87 strikeouts through 88 innings.</p><p>Given how well he's pitched, there are many fans who have voiced their confusion and even frustration over the decision. That said, Schneider did make it clear that this is only temporary, suggesting that Lauer will be re-inserted into the starting rotation at some point in the future.</p><p>"This is not a [permanent] move to the bullpen,"&nbsp;Schneider told reporters.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">News: Eric Lauer will be available out of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a>&rsquo; bullpen this weekend.<br /><br />&ldquo;This is not a [permanent] move to the bullpen,&rdquo; John Schneider reiterated.<br /><br />This sounds like a flexible situation that could change week to week, but Lauer gets the first bump.</p>&mdash; Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1958184456121962753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2025</a></blockquote><p>There was some belief amongst fans that if the Jays were indeed to continue rolling forward with their regular five-man rotation, it could be Chris Bassitt or Jose Berrios getting bumped.</p><p>Both have struggled as of late, with Bassitt posting a 5.68 ERA since the All-Star break, while Berrios has given up 17 runs and 38 hits in 31 innings over the same span.</p><p>Though this decision hasn't gone over well with some fans, this is a good problem to have for the AL-East best 74-53 Blue Jays, as it shows just how deep their pitching staff is.</p><p>To Lauer's&nbsp;credit, he seems to be handling the news well, perhaps even realizing this decision was coming given the Jays&rsquo; strong options in their starting rotation.</p><p>"It's going to be interesting,"&nbsp;Lauer said to Blue Jays reporter Keegan Matheson. "I'm glad I'm not the one making the decisions."</p><p>The Jays will be looking for a second-straight win this morning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Bassitt is looking get back on track in what is his 26th start of the season.</p>