Guests: Blue Jays pitchers Max Scherzer and Chad Dallas; Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame co-chair Cathy Landolt    

This week in Deep Left Field, we celebrate Fathers Day as well as the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's induction weekend.

Of course, we'll tell you all about the Blue Jays "week that was" that moved them back into the final American League wild card spot, but we also chat with Max Scherzer - before the back spasms landed him back on the injured list - about being a father on and off the field. First and foremost to his four children, but also as the 19-year big-league veteran who serves as a father figure to his younger teammates.

Chad Dallas, just recalled to the Jays this week, joins us to talk about his (so far) only big-league outing, in which he notched the win in his major-league debut, and also to share memories of his late father Tony, lost to ALS last year.

On the weekend, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame will add six new inductees, including Blue Jays great Devon White and Baseball Canada icons Stubby Clapp and Kate Psota. We're joined by one of the co-chairs of the Hall's board of directors, Cathy Landolt, to fill us in on induction weekend.

All that, plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, Philadelphia Phillies reliever Tim Mayza

This week in Deep Left Field, we look into the latest Blue Jays news from a 4-3 week, including the returns of Dylan Cease (good) and Max Scherzer (less good) from the injured list and speculate about how the Jays might handle the impending return of Alejandro Kirk, given that Brandon Valenzuela has emerged as one of the team's best hitters so far this season.

Kevin Gausman, the only Jays' pitcher to have not yet missed a start this season, joins us to share his thoughts about the team being under .500 but very much in the playoff race as the first day of summer approaches. Gausman also talks about some of his more lightning-rod-type teammates, including Jeff Hoffman, George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Tim Mayza was back in Toronto this week, but the one-time longest-tenured Blue Jay is now a Philadelphia Phillie. The left-hander reminisces about his Jays days and talks about the ups and downs of life as a reliever in the big leagues.

All that, plus a deep dive into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays icons Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion; Jays pitchers Chad Dallas and Simeon Woods Richardson

This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a bleak Week That Was for the Blue Jays, and then bring you back to happier times.

You'll hear from Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, who discuss their glory days as running mates with the Jays in the 2010s, culminating with each of them hitting a massive post-season home run for the franchise in back-to-back seasons.

You'll meet right-hander Chad Dallas, who is expected to make his major-league debut for the Jays on Thursday night in Atlanta, and we'll step into the wayback machine to bring you a conversation with the newly-reacquired Simeon Woods Richardson. We spoke to Richardson when he was a Jays' farmhand in 2021, about to pitch for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics and only weeks away from being traded to the Minnesota Twins in the Jose Berrios deal.

All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays associate manager Demarlo Hale, up-and-coming infield prospect Charles McAdoo, Marlins catcher/first baseman and Toronto native Liam Hicks   

This week in Deep Left Field, we go over all the Blue Jays' roster machinations of the week, including Dylan Cease's first-ever trip to the injured list, and talk about a bunch of roster churn on the pitching side.

On May 25, the Jays reached the one-third mark of the season, so we called upon associate manager Demarlo Hale to discuss what he's seen from the team, how they've done in dealing with a ton of adversity, and what he expects to see over the next 54 games. We'll share that conversation with you.

We're joined by Toronto's own Liam Hicks, who is off to a terrific start in his sophomore season in the big leagues, to discuss his first-ever big-league experience in his own backyard.

With the Jays' roster in constant flux, the next man up is likely to be infielder Charles McAdoo. We'll introduce you to the new guy.

All this, plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays home run and RBI leader Kazuma Okamoto, rookie outfielder Yohendrick Pinango, reliever Joe Mantiply    

This week in Deep Left Field, we rant about Blue Jays fans who for some reason want to declare the season over when it's not even summer yet and they're two games out of a playoff spot.

We look back at a break-even"Week That Was" that featured five one-run games, then talk to a couple of rookies and a long-time veteran.

Kazuma Okamoto joins us to discuss the up-and-down start to his big-league career and the transition to life in North America, as well as various and sundry dugout snacks.

Yohendrick Pinango talks about his first month in the majors and his extremely eye-catching neck tattoo.

And we check in with lefty Joe Mantiply, in his 15th season in professional baseball but first with the Jays, about his early-season success (now on hold thanks to a trip to the injured list) and about pitching to young catcher Daulton Varsho when they were both with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

All that plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah and bench coach John Gibbons

This week in Deep Left Field, we take you through a Blue Jays week that ended with a bang - the first grand slam of the season and a walk-off, at that!

Then Ernie Clement joins us to talk about the team's rough start to the season, his ever-increasing popularity (and visibility on your television between innings!), and how last season's late-May rebound weighs into the Jays' feelings about this season's issues.

With the Angels having been in town, we catch up with a couple of old friends. Two-time Jays skipper John Gibbons sits down for a trip down memory lane and we chat with Alek Manoah about his return to the big leagues in his old home ballpark, as well as his meteoric rise with the Jays and the fall that sees him with his third different team in eight months.

All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, Boston Red Sox infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa

This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a winning Blue Jays Week That Was. With the injured players starting to return, the Jays went into Thursday's action just half a game out of a playoff spot in the American League.

Dylan Cease has had a strong start to his Jays' career, posting a 2.87 ERA through six starts, leading the American League in strikeouts and not having allowed a home run yet. He joins us to talk about the first month of his seven years as a Blue Jay, how he feels he's performing, what he's seen from his new team and why he always looks over at third base before releasing the ball.

Brandon Valenzuela has been a big-leaguer for just about a month now, and we check in with the rookie catcher to talk about the work he's doing in the batters' box, filling the shoes of Alejandro Kirk and just how much he likes the ABS system.

Also, we catch up with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had a rough final outing as a Blue Jay in Game 7 of the World Series.

All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!