Blue Jays Attempt to Bring in Pitcher Who Wasn't on Lineup Card

A lineup card error led to an awkward moment during Thursday's Blue Jays-Braves game.

The 2020 MLB season has been an exercise in adaptability. Nothing is business as usual, from the ballpark experience to how players and team staff are allowed to behave away from the field. Another change has been how teams are allowed to construct their rosters, with traveling taxi squads available for teams on the road.

That last part proved to be an issue on Thursday. Playing the Braves on the road, the Blue Jays attempted to make a pitching change in the sixth inning and bring in Jacob Waguespack, who was brought up to the active roster earlier in the day after Toronto placed Trent Thornton on the injured list.

The only problem? Waguespack's name wasn't actually on the Blue Jays' lineup card. The team announced the Waguespack had been activated and was available for Thursday's game on its official Twitter feed, but his name did not appear on the lineup card provided to the Braves. So when Waguespack came in to pitch, Atlanta brought the discrepancy to the umpires' attention, resulting in Waguespack's departure before throwing a pitch.

Another abnormality of this baseball season: the pregame exchange of lineup cards, which is not being held this season in the name of social distancing. Without this procedure, the game's umpire crew did not have an opportunity to notice the difference between each team's lineup card, so they could not correct the issue before the game started.

Cut Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo some slack—he's trying his best, just like the rest of us.