Why Mason Fluharty is Blue Jays' starting pitcher today, and who is bulk guy to follow

The Toronto Blue Jays are having to get creative with their pitching.

One byproduct: Mason Fluharty is starting on Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves.

Fluharty is a left-handed reliever, but on this day, he becomes a starting pitcher.

Why is Mason Fluharty starting?

The Blue Jays are trying to come up with some way to manage their rotation injuries. 

They simply don't have enough MLB-established starting pitchers. The hope is that by starting a quality reliever, they can put up an early zero before moving on to a longer-range pitcher.

The opener move started within the last decade with the Tampa Bay Rays, and now teams often do it in a situation like this where they're otherwise shorthanded.

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Who is the bulk guy following Mason Fluharty?

The expectation is that Chad Dallas will follow Fluharty.

This will be the MLB debut for Dallas, if it indeed happens.

He has a 4.50 ERA in 10 outings this season at Triple-A Buffalo.

Dallas was a fourth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Tennessee, and he has worked hard to get back from injury and get this opportunity.

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