What does Bassitt landing on IL mean for Blue Jays' rotation?

KANSAS CITY -- All along, the right answer to the logjam in the Blue Jays’ rotation is that it would take care of itself eventually. Well, it just did.

Chris Bassitt was placed on the IL with lower back inflammation and left-hander Mason Fluharty was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday. Even in the wake of this injury news, José Berríos will remain in the bullpen, a part of the ballpark that’s completely foreign to him. With Eric Lauer also in the ‘pen after pivoting there at the beginning of September, the Blue Jays’ rotation is down to four.

That’s how it will stay, at least for the next week. After Shane Bieber pitches against the Royals on Saturday, the Blue Jays will roll out Trey Yesavage for Sunday’s series finale at Kauffman Stadium, then Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer to open their series back home against the Red Sox. Depending on how early Toronto can clinch the American League East and a bye to the AL Division Series, the final week of the season could look a little different, but this is Plan A.

While the Bassitt news feels more unexpected, there’s still something so jarring about seeing Berríos in the bullpen. Besides, he’s ‘La Makina’, Major League Baseball’s best bet to make 32 starts a season. Berríos is respected across the game for good reason, a professional in every regard, but his frustration was evident on Saturday.

“Honestly, I don’t feel happy talking about it,” Berríos said. “Putting that aside, I put my team first. I was able to be out there to help my team and that’s the way I see it.”

This isn’t the first tough conversation manager John Schneider has needed to have. Lauer had been one of the most important players on this roster for much of the summer before the Blue Jays moved him to the bullpen. Joey Loperfido was optioned when he was red hot. These are the problems great teams have, and unfortunately for Berríos, there were some arrows pointed in his direction.

“He definitely expressed his opinion,” Schneider said. “Rightfully so. He’s earned that. He’s also bright enough to understand where he’s at, what his second half has been and things like that. As frustrated as you may be in real time -- and Eric Lauer was the same way -- we’re asking some guys to do some things that are uncomfortable. He’s there now, but he was professional and honest, like he always is with anything.”

Now, Berríos is facing a strange new challenge. Pitching is pitching, but he’s been fine-tuned to start for the past decade. He’s only made one relief appearance in his MLB career, his final game of the 2017 season with the Twins. That’s 273 starts and one relief appearance. How can a pitcher like Berríos, so married to his routines, shift gears so quickly?

“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know how to respond,” Berríos said. “How I can help my team right now is to just be a good teammate, be here for them, support them and always be a positive guy around the clubhouse.”

At this point, it’s hard to see any role for Berríos on the postseason roster. Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber are expected to lead the rotation, Yesavage (Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect, No. 25 overall per MLB Pipeline) will have every opportunity in the world to win the No. 3 job and either Scherzer or Bassitt could follow.

This isn’t how anyone expected it to line up when the Blue Jays broke camp nearly six months ago, but that’s why you play the games. Schneider’s job just keeps getting harder, but that’s a privilege only managers contending for a World Series know.

“If I could sum up our team in one word, it’s ‘selfless’,” Schneider said. “The way that we deploy our roster, our bullpen, asking starters to be flexible. For a long time, as humans, you try to be a people pleaser and you try to keep things in the right working order to make everybody happy. That’s not the way you have to do it sometimes. Guys have understood that to the best degree I’ve seen since I’ve been in this job.”

Bassitt’s potential return adds yet another layer of importance to the Blue Jays clinching a bye to the ALDS, along with buying Bo Bichette a few extra days to rehab his left knee. Perhaps by then, Berríos has surprised us all with a couple of encouraging bullpen outings.

In a season like this? Stranger things have happened.