The Toronto Blue Jays are slowly watching their postseason hopes slip away after a 5-4 loss to the lowly Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. The defeat dropped them to to 3.5 games back of the Houston Astros for the final AL wild card spot. The team's odds to make the playoffs are down to 38.2 percent entering Wednesday, according to FanGraphs, the lowest mark of the season for the AL East dwellers.

The odds are dwindling, and the Blue Jays are simply not playing up to their potential at all. They've struggled with injuries throughout the year, but where the club has really struggled is coming up clutch and driving in key runs throughout the season. The Jays are in jeopardy of losing their third straight series if they can't find a way to defeat Washington in front of the home crowd at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday.

“I think we've had enough meetings this year and really, at this time, it would almost be like beating a dead horse,” Belt said as the team approaches the final month of the regular season. “We all know what we need to do.”

Injuries continue to plague Blue Jays

Toronto's hitters just can't seem to stay healthy in 2023. Various key players have missed time due to different ailments, ranging from a few days on the shelf to more lengthy stays on the IL. Every player on the roster other than Whit Merrifield, Daulton Varsho and Cavan Biggio have endured at least one injury since the start of the year.

Without a doubt, the team not being able to field its most optimal roster has limited the performance and overall success of the team this year. Just as the Jays were starting to get healthy in the middle of August, the injury bug struck again. One of Toronto's most reliable relievers in Erik Swanson went down with thoracic spine inflammation which will cost him at least two weeks after he landed on the 15-day IL.

Two even more devastating injuries followed, with superstar Bo Bichette returning to the injured list with right quad tightness, joining Matt Chapman, who left Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians and subsequently hit the IL with right middle finger inflammation. It's crucial for the team to be as healthy as possible heading into a desperate push for the playoffs, and injuries to Swanson, Bichette and Chapman mean the earliest the Jays could be healthy is around the middle of September.

It might be too little, too late.

Can pitching save them?

Somewhat surprisingly, the Jays have had one of the best starting pitching staffs in Major League Baseball in 2023. Since the All-Star break, the team boasts the best ERA in the entire league. Add to that, the Jays are currently among the top eight in the MLB in various statistical categories, including second in team ERA, tied for first in saves, tied for sixth in opponents batting average, eighth in WHIP, third in earned runs given up, second in strikeouts, tied for third in shutouts and second in holds.

It's pleasantly surprising for Jays fans, considering the Alek Manoah saga, as well as other struggling pitchers including Adam Cimber, Zach Pop and Nate Pearson. Pitching was expected to be good this season, but it has been excellent, especially with the resurgence of Hyun Jin Ryu and the shrewd deadline acquisitions of Genesis Cabrera and Jordan Hicks. If Toronto ends up missing the postseason, it won't be because of their pitching.

Jays' fatal flaw: inconsistent run production

Despite their injuries and aside from the above-average pitching the Jays have gotten from their starters and bullpen, the key problem in Toronto is the lack of meaningful run support and clutch hitting from one of the better lineups in baseball. The hitting itself hasn't been an issue for the Jays; they're ranked eighth in team batting average, ninth in on-base percentage and sixth in hits. That is very solid.

The problem is the inability to come up with important hits with runners in scoring position. Despite the aforementioned stats, Toronto is somehow 17th in the MLB in runs scored, tied for 16th in home runs, 17th in RBI and 19th in stolen bases. Those stats tell a completely different story, one of a team that is clearly not living up to its potential. The hitters are getting on base, but they aren't being advanced in a meaningful way to stack up runs.

Heading into Sunday's game, the Jays were hitting only .249 with RISP, ranking 21st in the league. That basically sums up the problem. If the Toronto Blue Jays hope to go on a run in September and qualify for the AL wild card, the offensive group will be the catalysts. A hitting turnaround could make this a dangerous playoff team, or could hammer the final nail in the coffin after an inconsistent 2023 season.