Leo Morgenstern

Last week, the Blue Jays designated Tyler Heineman for assignment when they activated Alejandro Kirk from the injured list. Today, they traded him to the Angels for cash considerations. Heineman, 34, spent parts of the past five seasons with Toronto. In that time, he played 126 games over numerous stints with the Jays, hitting .242 with a .663 OPS, while consistently playing superb defense. He was a surprisingly important contributor to the 2025 AL pennant-winning team, enjoying an unusually productive season for a backup catcher. While his defense in 2026 has been as excellent as ever, his offense has been poor. Considering Brandon Valenzuela's success on both sides of the ball, it wasn't surprising when the Blue Jays decided to DFA Heineman last Friday. However, considering how many times they have re-acquired Heineman in the past, it also wouldn't be surprising to see the journeyman backstop back in a Blue Jays uniform someday. View full rumor

In two starts since he came off the injured list, Dylan Cease has given up seven hits and one run in 11 innings, striking out 18. He's doing everything he can to finally earn his first All-Star selection and get back in the AL Cy Young race. The Blue Jays couldn't be more grateful. Alejandro Kirk was behind the plate for Cease's most recent gem, marking the first time the two have worked together since April 3. In three games since his own return from the IL, Kirk is hitting .364 (4-for-11) with a .916 OPS. Slowly but surely, the Blue Jays are getting healthier, and the team's outlook is growing brighter. Just don't ask me about Max Scherzer's first start back from the IL. Instead, we can talk about some of the other reinforcements on the way. Shane Bieber (Elbow) Shane Bieber is making another rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo today. According to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, the goal is about 75 pitches. The team has not confirmed that this will be the last rehab appearance for Bieber, but John Schneider suggested as much last week, telling Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith that Bieber needed one more rehab outing before the righty could make his way back to Toronto. Bieber's return can't come soon enough for a Blue Jays team fighting to get back above .500. In fact, I recently named him one of the three biggest X-factors for the Jays as they try to get back in the playoff picture. However, his return could also force a difficult decision: Who will lose their spot in the rotation to make room for the 2020 AL Cy Young winner? Yimi García (Elbow) Yimi García hasn't pitched in the majors since last July, but he has now made six appearances during his latest rehab stint. In his most recent outing, he struck out all three Triple-A batters he faced. While his stuff has been looking better, The Athletic's Mitch Bannon suggested recovery time might still be a concern. As Bannon pointed out, García has had at least three days of rest between all his rehab outings. If he's going to be of help to the Jays' bullpen, he needs to be able to pitch more frequently. Whichever of Bieber or García comes back second is going to force the harder roster decision. Presumably, Simeon Woods Richardson is the first to go when Toronto needs an active roster spot. It's a lot harder to figure out how the team will find a second opening on the 26-man. Ricky Tiedemann (Elbow) We were supposed to see Ricky Tiedemann pitch in spring training this year, but a bout of elbow soreness dashed those hopes. Last night, Jays Centre's No. 5 prospect finally made his 2026 debut, tossing an inning for the Florida Complex League team. Although he gave up two hits and a run, the outing was a huge step in the right direction for the promising young lefty. Tiedemann's long-term future is still as a starting pitcher, but he'll probably be limited to shorter outings this year. The silver lining to that is it could accelerate his MLB debut. As long as he keeps making progress, it's a very real possibility that Tiedemann joins the Blue Jays' bullpen down the stretch this season. More Blue Jays Injury Updates Addison Barger (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment later this week (per Sportsnet). There is no timeline yet for Daulton Varsho (wrist), but the center fielder has resumed hitting drills. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, Varsho's wrist is feeling "much better" than it did last week. Lazaro Estrada is technically still on a rehab assignment, even though he's pitching for Triple-A Buffalo, which is likely where he'll stay when he's reinstated. He made his fifth rehab appearance yesterday, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings. Arjun Nimmala remains on the minor league injured list with a hamstring strain. Jays Centre's No. 3 prospect hasn't played since May 27, and unfortunately, there's no word yet on when he'll return. View full article

The Blue Jays are 34-38. That's one game worse than they were through 72 games in 2024. In case anyone needs reminding, they went on to sell at the deadline that year and finish with the worst record in the AL East. Thankfully, this year's team doesn't need to start thinking about throwing in the towel. Despite their losing record and -22 run differential, the 2026 Blue Jays are only 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. They haven't felt like a real contender all season. They've never been more than three games above .500, and they've yet to win more than four in a row. The thing is, that's true of lots of their American League opponents too. Only five teams in the AL have a record above .500. Before the season started, FanGraphs gave the Blue Jays 52.8% odds to make the playoffs. Seventy-two games later, those odds have fallen, but not by nearly as much as they could have. As of June 15, their odds sit at 39.6%: Courtesy of FanGraphs PECOTA, the projection system from Baseball Prospectus, is even higher on Toronto's postseason chances. PECOTA still thinks the Jays have a near 50% shot to reach October. This is good news. Despite all the injuries and slumps, the Blue Jays are still in this thing. Eventually, however, something is going to have to change. The reason their odds are still so high isn't that the projection systems think a 77-win team is going to make the playoffs. It's because the projection systems think they have the talent to turn things around. But it's the players who have to make that turnaround happen. That means certain guys will have to play significantly better baseball than they have to this point. Who could that be? Blue Jays X-Factors: Honourable Mentions Alejandro Kirk is back, and he's quickly reminding us why he's one of the best catchers in baseball. Yet, Brandon Valenzuela did such a terrific job in Kirk's absence that Kirk's return isn't what's going to turn this ship around. Similarly, Addison Barger could be a spark for the lineup when he comes back from his second IL stint, but Toronto's other three lefty-batting corner outfielders have combined for a .776 OPS and 116 wRC+. Any playing time for Barger would just be taken away from one of Jesús Sánchez, Nathan Lukes, and Yohendrick Piñango. Finally, I need to acknowledge the bullpen. It's hard to fathom where the Jays would be without the innings they've gotten from their four best relievers: Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher. I considered making this one of the official X-factors: "Varland, Rogers, Fluharty, and Fisher Keep Their Arms Attached to Their Bodies." However, I decided against it because this isn't something that needs to change in order for the Blue Jays to improve; it's a strength that needs to stay a strength to prevent a collapse. Don't get me wrong, it's every bit as important as the X-factors I'm about to discuss, it just belongs in a different category. Blue Jays X-Factor: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Turns It On This one has to happen eventually, right? Presuming the back issues that bothered Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the weekend aren't serious, I refuse to worry about the Blue Jays' franchise player. Yes, his prolonged slumps can be frustrating. And yes, he's currently in one of his longest slumps since his breakout in 2021. But I'm not going to ignore the fact that from 2024-25, including the playoffs, Guerrero's .390 wOBA was the fourth-highest among qualified hitters, trailing only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto. If you're reading this, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Guerrero can do for this team when he's hot. This Blue Jays lineup desperately needs a superstar, and Vladdy is the one who needs to fill that role. Blue Jays X-Factor: A Healthy Shane Bieber Returns At his very best, Shane Bieber is a top-of-the-rotation arm. Even if you write off his Cy Young-winning 2020 season as a COVID-year fluke, he pitched to a 3.22 ERA and 9.4 fWAR over the next three seasons. Last year, he gave the Blue Jays 59 innings with a 3.66 ERA between the regular season and the playoffs. The difference between a healthy Bieber and the alternative could be massive, whether that alternative is Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, or a bullpen game. There's no guarantee Bieber pitches well upon his return. I'm still bracing myself to hear he's suffered a setback, or for him to come back, make one start, and wind up on the injured list again. However, there's also the very real possibility that Bieber is a multi-win upgrade for the rotation. A postseason starting four of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Bieber could take the Jays far. Blue Jays X-Factor: George Springer Bounces Back This is the one I'm the least confident in, but it might be the most transformative. As I've written about before, George Springer was the single most important player on the 2025 Blue Jays. Not only did he lead the team in fWAR and bWAR, but his performance relative to expectations was what took the Jays from Wild Card contenders to World Series contenders. Right now, he's playing like 2025 never happened. His numbers to this point are exactly what I would have guessed Springer to look like in 2026... if I was guessing in 2024. I can't expect Springer to flip a switch and start hitting as well as he did last year. But I know it's possible, because I saw that version of him just last fall. And if he can flip that switch, a mediocre Blue Jays lineup could suddenly become much more dangerous. Which of these X-factors is the most important? Are there any you think I missed? Please share your thoughts in the comments underneath! 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Major League Baseball released the first All-Star voting update this afternoon, and one thing is clear: Blue Jays fans have been voting. They've been voting a lot. A Blue Jays player ranks either first or second at every position except for outfield. Considering the team's sub-.500 record, it's safe to say this has more to do with who's been voting than the deserving-ness of the players they're voting for. (Whether or not that's a bad thing is a debate for a different day.) Obviously, this is a World Series-related bump. The Jays and their players are more popular, particularly outside of Toronto and across the country. It's not so often an entire country is voting for all the same candidates in an election. That said, it's also important to acknowledge the impact of a good bribe. I got a really nice sticker at the Rogers Centre last week after I showed the staff that I voted; it was Philadelphia's famous LOVE statue with a Blue Jays logo instead of the "O." I'm not sure what I'm actually going to do with the sticker, but I liked getting it, and I certainly wasn't the only person who cast my ballot for the free souvenir! Anyway, here's where the Jays representatives stand after 12 days of voting. The Leaders Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s star power has him in first place at first base. He's angling for his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance and his fifth start. With all due respect to Guerrero, the reason he's in the lead surely has something to do with the more deserving candidates splitting the vote (among voters who actually try to pick for the best players, instead of the biggest stars or everyone on their favourite team). First base is absolutely stacked in the AL this year, with Ben Rice, Nick Kurtz, Munetaka Murakami, and Willson Contreras all enjoying tremendous seasons at the plate. I love Vladdy, but one of those guys deserves this opportunity. The other Blue Jay in the lead really has earned it. I wrote an article encouraging Blue Jays fans to vote for Ernie Clement last week. Apparently, y'all didn't need any encouragement. Clement leads at second base by 616,706 votes. That's more votes than Guerrero has even received. Clement's 904,702 votes are only 111,066 back of the AL's leading vote-getter, Yordan Alvarez. The first phase of voting is still open until June 25, but Ernie is all but guaranteed to advance to phase two. The Runners-Up Kazuma Okamoto, Andrés Giménez, George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk are all in second place at their respective positions. I've listed them in order of how ridiculous that is. Okamoto is enjoying a solid season, even if it isn't All-Star calibre. Giménez has at least been excellent on defense. Springer's votes are only justifiable as restitution for his snub last season. Kirk, who has played all of seven games in 2026, should probably do the right thing and sign over his votes to Brandon Valenzuela. None of these guys should be an All-Star, and I doubt any of them will be. Still, it's nice to see how passionate Blue Jays fans are right now, despite the team's slow start. Hopefully, all the support inspires guys like Giménez and Springer to play more like All-Stars going forward. The Outfielders Evidently, the fans aren't as excited about Toronto's outfielders, but Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez still rank eighth and ninth, respectively, at a position with three times the competition. Unfortunately for Myles Straw, he was the only Blue Jay on the ballot not to be named at all in the first voting update. For all you Straw-heads out there, you still have 10 days to change that! If you'd like to learn more about the All-Star selection process and how to vote, you can read all about it on MLB.com. View full article

The Blue Jays designated Connor Seabold for assignment last week when Max Scherzer returned from the injured list. Today, the right-hander's time in DFA limbo came to an end. The Jays have shipped Seabold off to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Denis Samudio. Toronto also gets cash considerations in the deal. Seabold appeared in five games for the Blue Jays this season. He gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, striking out one and walking two. Presuming he gets in a game for the Royals, they will be his seventh MLB team. Samudio signed with Kansas City as an international free agent in January 2025. He pitched well in the Dominican Summer League last season (1.72 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate), earning an honourable mention on FanGraphs' list of the Royals' top prospects. According to Brendan Gawlowski's write-up, the righty was touching 95 with "some of the best vertical break" in Kansas City's system. After starting the 2026 season in the Arizona Complex League, Samudio earned a promotion to the Single-A Columbia Fireflies in May. In four outings for the Fireflies, he struck out 17 and walked eight in 14 innings of work, pitching to a 4.50 ERA. His latest outing was his best. The 21-year-old earned his first professional win with four innings of scoreless relief work. Samudio will remain at the Single-A level for now and report to the Dunedin Blue Jays. View full rumor

Before the season, my Jays Centre colleague Jesse Burrill asked all the writers here to make a bold prediction for 2026. At the time, I was very pleased with what I came up with: Two Blue Jays will make their first All-Star Game this summer. I knew it was statistically improbable, but I genuinely thought it was going to come true. That's the perfect bold prediction. Well, in theory. In practice, it's starting to look like my "perfect bold prediction" may not have been bold enough. Dylan Cease was my ace in the hole, and I acknowledged as much. Other names that made me confident in my prediction were Daulton Varsho, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce, and Louis Varland. With just over a month to go until the All-Star Game, Cease and Varland are strong contenders to earn a spot on the AL squad. But there's a third Blue Jay with a serious All-Star case, and it's one I didn't even consider before the season. Heck, it's one I didn't even consider when voting opened last week. It's Ernie Clement. (Pictured below: Me showing my emphatic support for Ern Dog.) Image courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr. – Imagn Images via Reuters Connect Thanks to a red-hot stretch over the last three weeks, Clement ranks fifth in the AL with a .304 batting average. His 79 hits lead the American League (Jesse will have more to say on that topic tomorrow). The rest of his numbers don't jump off the page, but the competition at his position is so nonexistent that Toronto's second baseman really might be the strongest choice. Clement has 1.4 fWAR and bWAR through 67 games. That's well above average, although it isn't a number that screams 'All-Star' – and certainly not 'All-Star Starter.' Before injury replacements get the call, 20 position players will be named to the AL All-Star team. Clement doesn't even rank among the top 30 by either version of WAR. The thing is, there has to be a starting second baseman. There has to be a reserve second baseman, too, and they both actually have to play second base. Shortstops Kevin McGonigle and Colson Montgomery are more deserving All-Stars than Clement, and I'm sure either one of them could handle the keystone just fine, but that isn't how it works. One of the 15 second basemen on the ballot will get the starting nod, and another will be the backup. Of those 15, I don't see a better choice than Ernie. As you could have guessed, Clement leads AL second basemen in hits and batting average. He doesn't lead in any other major categories, but his .789 OPS and 119 wRC+ both rank second, behind Ezequiel Duran's .802 and 124 marks. Clement also has a 62 PA lead over Duran, which means he has provided more overall value at the plate. His 37 weighted runs created (the counting stat version of wRC+) lead the field. Strangely poor defensive numbers (-1 DRS, -1 FRV) are dragging down Clement's WAR totals, but I don't care about defensive metrics as much at this point in the season, especially when we all know how valuable Ernie can be in the field. I refuse to accept that Duran is a better fielder, even if the metrics give him the edge. [Related: Toronto Blue Jays Defensive Plays of the Month - May 2026] Let me be clear: I'm not saying Clement is far and away the best choice. What I'm saying is that no one else is obviously more deserving, at least right now. A vote for Ernie Clement wouldn't just be Blue Jays homerism; it would be a perfectly justifiable choice. Some fans will argue that star power should matter when it comes to All-Star voting. They might use that argument to justify a vote for star rookie Travis Bazzana or a multi-time All-Star like Gleyber Torres or Jazz Chisholm Jr. These fans would tell you the All-Star Game is about having a good time, and it's more fun when the biggest names are on the field. Personally, I'd respond that baseball is always more fun when Ernie Clement is on the field. Yes, I'm aware that I'm sliding into homerism territory now, but if fans outside of Toronto don't know the joy of watching Clement, it's only because they haven't watched him enough. Electing him to the All-Star Game could help change that. At the risk of sounding like a sponsored post for Major League Baseball, here is the link to the 2026 MLB All-Star ballot. Here it is again. (Remember, you can vote five times a day!) I don't believe in just voting for all the players on my favourite team, but I do believe in doing everything I can to support the ones who deserve it. So, here's that link one more time. If you're so inclined, please join me in voting, and let's get Ernie Clement to the All-Star Game. I couldn't be more excited for my bold prediction to be proven wrong. View full article

According to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, Sean Keys has earned a promotion. Thanks to his hot start for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Jays Centre's No. 10 prospect will soon join the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Keys, 23, leads all Blue Jays minor leaguers with 14 home runs and 43 runs scored in 2026. He's hitting .285 with 23 extra-base hits, a 13.4% walk rate, a .993 OPS, and a 158 wRC+. No Double-A batter (min. 200 PA) has a higher OPS or wRC+. The corner infielder has also stolen six bases through 49 games; he only stole eight in 119 contests last season. Jays Centre chose Keys as our Minor League Hitter of the Month in April. He slowed down a bit in mid-May, but over the past two weeks, he's hit .317 with a 1.111 OPS and 185 wRC+. While he's only been with New Hampshire for two months, it already looks like he's ready to face the next level of competition. The Blue Jays selected Keys in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. You can read more about him on Jays Centre's top prospects page. View full article

Even without Alejandro Kirk, the Blue Jays have the best defensive catchers in baseball, at least according to Statcast's metrics. For the second month in a row, Blue Jays catchers led the majors with a +7 fielding run value (FRV) in May, thanks to stellar performances from Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heinman. The rest of their fielders, however, were surprisingly poor, finishing the month with -8 Outs Above Average (OAA). We can all think of some moments in the field that should have gone differently. Be that as it may, the Jays still made their fair share of highlight-reel plays in May, and I'm here to celebrate the best (or at least the most enjoyable) of them. You can find my picks for March/April's defensive plays of the month here. That's the Varsho We Know and Love Last month, I wrote about this Addison Barger grab, noting it was Toronto's first five-star catch of the season. Apparently, it has since been downgraded to four stars, but the Blue Jays still have one five-star catch in 2026 thanks to Daulton Varsho. The center fielder hasn't always been the elite defender we're used to seeing this year, but he covered a ton of ground in a couple of seconds to make this diving grab. Two for the Price of One... But Was It Worth It? Addison Barger is so cool. In his first game back from the injured list, he made a run-saving double play, and he made it look as easy as throwing to first on a routine groundball. I don't even think Jorge Soler considered the fact that he could be doubled up as he tried to tag and score on this play. Unfortunately, Barger landed back on the injured list the next day with elbow inflammation in his powerful right arm. Andrés Giménez Is So Damn Smooth As accomplished a defender as he is, it's important not to forget that Andrés Giménez is still settling in at shortstop. By the test eye, he looked more comfortable at his new position in May, and the numbers back that up: He led the Blue Jays with 4 OAA in the month. I could have picked several of his highlights to feature here, but this bang-bang play against the Orioles was my favourite. Varsho Holds On What's impressive here isn't so much the catch itself, but the fact that Varsho holds on after smacking into the wall at full speed, falling over, and doing a backward somersault. They say if you look closely, you can still see the imprint of his face on the center field wall. What, Like It's Hard? I'm so impressed by the nonchalance with which Patrick Corbin made this behind-the-back grab. It almost looks like he just happened to put his glove in the perfect spot, and the ball bounced in. Either that or there was some magnet trickery going on here. Don't Run on Heiny Heineman caught nine runners stealing in May, including four in one game against the Marlins. He's now tied for third in MLB on the season with 11 caught stealing. I chose the clip above from that game against Miami (a) because Heineman caught the blistering-fast Esteury Ruiz, and (b) because of how cool Giménez looks laying down the tag. Have I mentioned I love watching Andrés Giménez? They Call Him a Catcher for a Reason Brandon Valenzuela provides most of his defensive value with excellent pitch-framing, which rarely makes the highlight reels. However, there was no way I wasn't going to include Toronto's most important defensive player in a piece about the team's defense. Valenzuela made a pair of excellent catches on tough pop-ups in May. I already wrote about one of them, so I included the other one here. At first, it looked like he lost this one in the sun, and he easily could have just given up. Instead, he located the ball and made a mad dash for the backstop and pulled off the sliding catch. Kudos to the camera crew for capturing this so well. Ladies and Gentlemen, Trey Yesavage You knew this was coming. How else could I end this piece but with one of the greatest examples of pitcher defense I've ever seen? Let's break it down. Act I: Trey Yesavage leaps for a high bouncer, but the ball clips off the top of his glove. Act II: He can't locate the ball until it hits the brim of his cap on the way down. Act III: He goes to snap it up, and once again, it pops out of his glove. Act IV: In a last-ditch effort to make the play, he uses his glove like something in between a shovel and a tennis racket to half-scoop, half-slap the ball to first base. Act V: Somehow, it works. Any Blue Jays defensive moments from May that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments below! View full article

The Blue Jays have acquired pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson in a trade with the Twins, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Minnesota will send cash considerations back to Toronto. Woods Richardson, 25, was a prospect in the Blue Jays' system from 2019-21. Toronto acquired him from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade and later sent him to the Twins in the José Berríos deal. The righty was designated for assignment over the weekend. He pitched well for the Twins from 2024-25, putting up a 4.11 ERA over 51 games (50 starts). However, he has struggled in 2026, with a 7.74 ERA in 47.2 innings. Jays Centre's Jim Scott recently wrote about Woods Richardson as a potential target for the Blue Jays. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired more right-handed depth in the form of veteran reliever Justin Topa. Topa, 35, has seven seasons of MLB experience with the Brewers, Mariners, and Twins. He owns a 4.27 ERA in 172 career appearances, with nine saves and 32 holds. The righty struggled badly for Minnesota earlier this year (8.05 ERA, 5.97 xERA in 19 IP), prompting his release. However, he was solid for the Twins in 2025, pitching to a 3.90 ERA (4.42 xERA) in 60 frames. The Blue Jays have 10 pitchers on their major league injured list, and they're currently counting on bullpen games to fill two of the five slots in their rotation. So, it makes sense that they're stockpiling pitching depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Topa get a shot with Toronto in the coming weeks. View full rumor

Two months into 2026, the Blue Jays have had to dip into their farm system several times to address injuries to position players like Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Lenyn Sosa. That isn't ideal, but things have gone about as well as anyone could have possibly hoped for the rookie hitters. Brandon Valenzuela has the poise of a veteran behind the plate, Yohendrick Piñango has the highest OPS and wRC+ on the team (min. 50 PA), and Charles McAdoo hit a huge home run in his very first big league game. Even better, the success stories of the Blue Jays' farm system go beyond just what we've seen at the big league level. Many of Toronto's position player prospects are enjoying strong seasons. Let's talk about the best of those hitters from May. Honourable Mention: Franklin Rojas (FCL) May Stats: 16 G, 68 PA, 1 HR, .316/.426/.439, 130 wRC+ Franklin Rojas was Toronto's top international signing in 2024, and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later that year. After two seasons in the DSL, the catcher made his stateside debut in 2026 and started off strong, batting .316 with a .426 OBP in May. Honourable Mention: Sam White (FCL) May Stats: 20 G, 72 PA, 4 HR, .328/.444/.603, 161 wRC+ Ontario native Sam White signed with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent last summer. He moved all around the field in college, from catcher to third base to left field, but he has primarily played first base in his first professional season. The odds might be stacked against him as a 22-year-old first baseman in the Complex League, but White couldn't have asked for a better start to his career. He slugged four home runs and four doubles in his first 20 games. Honourable Mention: Je'Von Ward May Stats: 17 G, 53 PA, 5 HR, .319/.396/.681, 176 wRC+ Je'Von Ward earned a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-April, and after taking a couple of weeks to adjust to the new level, he started mashing for the Bisons. Ward hit five home runs in the month, despite only taking 53 trips to the plate. At 26, he's on the older side for a player making his Triple-A debut, and as a lefty-batting outfielder, he doesn't exactly have a clear path to the majors. That said, if he can maintain his power and cut down on the strikeouts, the Jays will have to take notice eventually. No. 3: Alexis Hernandez May Stats: 24 G, 105 PA, 7 HR, .318/.398/.648, 174 wRC+ Alexis Hernandez is a name to watch. Never a top-ranked prospect, he joined the Blue Jays a few years back in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The young outfielder didn't make a name for himself immediately, but in 68 games for High-A Vancouver over the last two seasons, he is hitting .290 with 10 home runs, 27 extra-base hits, eight stolen bases, and a 132 wRC+. He looked better than ever this past May, clubbing seven of those 10 home runs and finishing the month with a 174 wRC+. No. 2: Jay Harry May Stats: 25 G, 96 PA, 7 HR, .323/.333/.667, 152 wRC+ If you're wondering where this version of Jay Harry came from, you aren't alone. Over his first 127 games in the Blue Jays system, the utility man hit .202 with a .598 OPS and a 71 wRC+. He looked particularly lost after his promotion to Double-A New Hampshire last year (46 wRC+ in 44 games), and the Jays sent him back down to High-A Vancouver to finish the season. To say his second stint with the Fisher Cats has gone better would be the understatement of the century. Harry hit .357 with a 130 wRC+ in April, although only three of his 15 hits went for extra bases and none went over the fence. He remedied that issue in May with seven home runs and 16 extra-base hits. He also cut his strikeout rate down from 32.6% to 21.9%. The sample is still small, but all of a sudden, Harry is looking like a prospect you need to know. No. 1: RJ Schreck May Stats: 27 G, 115 PA, 4 HR, .297/.435/.516, 156 wRC+ Plenty of Blue Jays prospects looked good in May, but RJ Schreck gets the top spot because he's the most likely to make his way to the majors at some point this year. Early this spring, there were even rumblings that Schreck could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. That was before the Jays traded for Jesús Sánchez, and before Schreck went 3-for-21 in spring training. Yet, after what we saw from Schreck in May, it's clear why those rumblings were there in the first place. The outfielder hit .297 on the month with four home runs, eight doubles, and 18 walks. The Blue Jays already have a surplus of lefty-batting outfielders on their active roster, but Schreck's ability to play center field could earn him a shot if he keeps hitting like this. View full article

It's more bad news for yet another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Left-hander Joe Mantiply, who has already been on the IL for the past two weeks, needs surgery to repair the damage in his left knee. It will be an arthroscopic procedure. The good news is that the Jays expect to have Mantiply back at some point later this year, although it might be toward the end of the season. The 35-year-old pitched well for Toronto before he hit the shelf, tossing 17.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked four, generating groundballs at a 48.9% rate. While Mantiply is out, the Blue Jays will continue to lean heavily on fellow left-hander Mason Fluharty. Rookie southpaw Adam Macko will also have a chance to carve out a more permanent role in Toronto's bullpen if he continues to succeed. View full rumor

It's more bad news for yet another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Left-hander Joe Mantiply, who has already been on the IL for the past two weeks, needs surgery to repair the damage in his left knee. It will be an arthroscopic procedure. The good news is that the Jays expect to have Mantiply back at some point later this year, although it might be toward the end of the season. The 35-year-old pitched well for Toronto before he hit the shelf, tossing 17.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked four, generating groundballs at a 48.9% rate. While Mantiply is out, the Blue Jays will continue to lean heavily on fellow left-hander Mason Fluharty. Rookie southpaw Adam Macko will also have a chance to carve out a more permanent role in Toronto's bullpen if he continues to succeed. View full rumor