Blue Jays Pitching Roundup: Adam Macko’s Injury and Invites for Ryan Yarbrough and Amir Garrett

After an injury and some roster moves, the Blue Jays pitching staff will look different heading into the start of spring training games start this weekend.

Adam Macko Tears His Meniscus
The Blue Jays are on the hunt for pitching depth because they were hit with their first notable injury in the spring. On Thursday, three days after experiencing pain in his left knee during a bullpen session, left-hander Adam Macko underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus. The Blue Jays have yet to place a timetable on a return, but he's likely to miss the first month of the season. As the Toronto rotation is heavy on pitchers on the wrong side of 30, they're bound to need Macko at some point this season. If the injury has any lingering effects, hinders his development, or keeps him out for a large chunk of the season, it would be a meaningful blow to the team's starting pitching depth.

Macko was one of the team's few minor-league pitching success stories last year. He started the year in single-A Dunedin, made 16 starts in Double A, and made one start with the Bisons at the end of the season. His combined ERA for the three levels was 4.63, but that may have been inflated due a low 67.6% strand rate. His 3.96 FIP and 3.82 xFIP were more encouraging, and he walked more than 10 batters per nine innings over his 93 1/3 innings.

The key part of the Teoscar Hernández trade, Macko appeared to be on track to start the season in triple-A Buffalo and was likely an injury or two away from making his big league debut at some point during the 2025 season. Now he will have to rest and rehab and get on the mound at some point later in the season.

Blue Jays Sign Ryan Yarbrough
Per Robert Murray, the Blue Jays and 33-year-old left-handed Pitcher Ryan Yarborough are in agreement on a minor-league contract, with an invite to spring training. Blue Jays fans will know Yarborough well, as the team traded for him (and cash) at the deadline last season in a move that sent fan favorite (and now special assistant to the GM) Kevin Kiermaier to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yarborough was one of the bright spots for a historically bad Blue Jays bullpen, running a 2.01 ERA over 31 1/3 innings with the team. Out of all Blue Jays pitchers who worked predominantly out of the bullpen his 0.3 fWAR trailed only Yimi Garcia for best on the team. Over the full season, his 3.19 ERA was the best of his career, but he may been the recipient of some good fortune. His 4.64 FIP and 4.84 xFIP were much more in line with the 4.80 combined ERA that he ran 2021 to 2024.

Yarborough will likely be battling for a bullpen spot. His ability to throw multiple innings at a time and throw from the left side of the plate should give him a solid chance at a spot on the opening-day roster, especially if he puts up a good performance over the coming weeks. As a veteran on a minor-league deal, Yarborough will have three chances to opt out of the deal if he isn't in line to make the club. The first chance will come five days before Opening Day.

Bullpen Additions
The Blue Jays have also made two more signings the help bolster the bullpen. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Barnes and left-handed pitcher Amir Garrett both signed minor-league deals and are non-roster invites to spring training. Blue Jays fans might remember Barnes from his 10-game appearance with the team in 2021. He joined the Blue Jays in mid-June that season and made five straight scoreless appearances to start his Blue Jay career. He then gave up multiple earned runs in three of his next four appearances before being outrighted to the minors. The 35-year-old will compete for a spot in the bullpen after pitching to a 4.36 ERA over 66 innings with the Nationals last season.

Amir Garrett has had some big league success in the past, pitching primarily out of the Reds bullpen from 2018 to 2021. He’s since spent some time in Kansas City, and spent 2024 in the Angels system. Garrett could always generate strikeouts, running a career 26.7% strikeout rate. Walks have been an issue too, as he's run a 13.3% career walk rate. As a left-hander Garrett's competition for a bullpen spot will come from Yarborough, Brandon Little, Eric Lauer, Josh Walker, Easton Lucas, and Richard Lovelady. Garrett has never lacked for velocity, and despite his struggles in 2024, his fastball averaged 95.7 mph, a career-high.