Michael Coyle

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting healthier. A day after welcoming back Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays announced that George Springer has been activated off the 10-day injured list. While Springer will not be in the starting lineup during the Blue Jays’ series finale against the Boston Red Sox, he will be available off the bench. Springer originally fractured his left big toe on April 11 after following a pitch off his foot. The 36-year-old exited the contest and has missed the past 15 games after being placed on the IL on April 12. Through 14 games, Springer is batting .185 with two home runs and six RBIs. During his absence, the Blue Jays have gone 7-8, and have been rotating Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, and Ernie Clement through the leadoff spot. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays designated Eloy Jiménez for assignment. The 29-year-old appeared in 12 games with the Blue Jays, batting .290 with three RBIs and a .343 on-base percentage. With Springer set to return to the DH role, and Jiménez offering no real positional flexibility, the Blue Jays were forced to make this move. First pitch on Wednesday is set for 3:07 p.m. at the Rogers Centre. View full rumor

The injury bug continues to rear its ugly head for a Toronto Blue Jays team looking to piece it together through the 2026 season’s opening month. On Sunday morning, the Blue Jays placed outfielder George Springer on the injured list with a left big toe fracture, further depleting an already hurting roster. In a corresponding move, Eloy Jiménez was selected from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Springer on the active roster. Jiménez took over the designated hitter spot and hit seventh on Sunday, as the Blue Jays wrapped up a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at the Rogers Centre. In Toronto's 8-2 loss, Jiménez went 2-for-4 with two singles and two strikeouts. The Blue Jays originally signed Jiménez to a minor league contract in September of last season after he was released from the Tampa Bay Rays organization. After appearing in just six Triple-A games for the Buffalo Bisons last year, Jiménez was brought back to the organization this past January with an invite to spring training. The 29-year-old impressed during spring training, appearing in 18 games and batting .286 with two home runs, three RBIs and a .333 OBP across 45 PA. Jiménez picked up where he left off in spring training in Triple-A with the Bisons. Through 11 games, he hit .257 with one home run and five RBIs while reaching base at a .372 clip. Jiménez is a career .269 hitter at the big league level, to go along with 95 home runs and 298 RBIs over stints with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles organizations. The Dominican Republic native’s best season in MLB came during his rookie year, when Jiménez slugged 31 home runs for the White Sox. Jiménez’s last appearance in MLB came back in 2024, split between the White Sox and Orioles. He batted .238 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 98 games. The right-handed hitter’s stick will determine his role with the Blue Jays. If Jiménez proves he can drive the ball with authority, then he has a chance to get consistent at-bats as manager John Schneider looks for answers on the offensive side of the ball. The Twins started right-hander Taj Bradley yesterday afternoon, so evidently, the Blue Jays aren't only planning to use Jiménez’s bat when he has the platoon advantage. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays have not gotten off to the start that the fans, players, or management were expecting following last year’s run to the World Series. With a 5-7 record and a laundry list of injuries to the starting rotation, the Blue Jays have been forced to rely heavily on their bullpen in the regular season’s opening weeks. Excluding Tyler Heineman, who has already been used twice this season, the Blue Jays have been forced to use 12 different relievers over the first 12 games. The results have been mixed for the group overall, but two players who have started the 2026 campaign strongly are Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland. While these relievers couldn’t be more different from one another, both have been able to stabilize a volatile group, giving the Blue Jays quality innings as they search for wins. The Blue Jays signed Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract back in December to help lock down the late innings. Through six games, Rogers has posted a record of 1-0, an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.05. In 6 ⅔ innings, he has struck out five batters and walked three. One of Rogers’ calling cards throughout his career has been his ability to limit hard contact, consistently ranking in the top three percent of Major League Baseball pitchers for average exit velocity allowed. In the right-hander’s past five seasons, his average exit velocities against have been 85.4, 84.2, 84.4, 85.2 and 85.8 mph, with four of those five years placing him in the top one percent. Rogers has kept that up through his opening six appearances, with an 85.2 mph average exit velocity, giving the Blue Jays what they were hoping for when they signed the 35-year-old. Another underlying statistic that continues to back up Rogers’ success is that of the 19 batted balls against him this season, zero have been barrelled by opposing teams. Varland attacks hitters with a high-octane fastball, a knuckle curve and a wipeout slider. Through six games, he is 0-1 with an ERA of 0.00 and a 1.05 WHIP. The 28-year-old has struck out nine batters across his 6 ⅔ innings, picking up where he left off during last season’s run to the World Series. Varland’s fastball velocity ranks in the 92nd percentile in MLB with an average speed of 97.8 mph. This has helped the right-hander to sit in the top eight percent of MLB pitchers in strikeout percentage (36%), routinely missing bats against opposing teams’ best hitters. Varland, like Rogers, has allowed zero barrels this season on 14 batted balls, limiting hard contact every time he’s entered a game. While the Blue Jays haven’t got off to the start anyone was hoping for, Rogers and Varland have come out of the gates on fire, giving the Blue Jays quality outings every time they've taken the mound. View full article

On Tuesday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Addison Barger is heading to the injured list with a left ankle sprain. The injury appeared to occur during the Blue Jays’ series in Chicago against the White Sox, when Barger landed awkwardly on first base after trying to beat out a groundball up the middle. The awkward landing on first base happened in the top of the third inning. The 26-year-old remained in the game until the bottom of the sixth inning, when he was replaced in right field by Jesús Sánchez. Barger missed Monday night’s 14-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers before being placed on the IL this afternoon. Through eight games this season, Barger has batted .053 with a .174 OBP, recording only one hit through his first 19 at-bats. His lone hit was a double in Chicago last Friday. The outfielder has also added two RBIs. After struggling during his rookie season in 2024, Barger provided a much-needed boost to the Blue Jays’ lineup in 2025. In 135 games, he batted .243 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs, finishing third on the club in home runs, trailing only George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Barger then put together a very strong postseason for the Blue Jays, batting .367 with three home runs and nine RBIs, including a Game 1 grand slam off former Dodger and current Minnesota Twins reliever Anthony Banda. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled newly acquired infielder Tyler Fitzgerald. He was acquired from the San Francisco Giants on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations. Fitzgerald has spent the past three seasons bouncing between the Giants and their Triple-A club, the Sacramento River Cats. For his career, he is a .252 hitter with 21 home runs and 53 RBIs across 563 MLB at-bats. The 28-year-old is also 28-for-36 in stolen base attempts across his three campaigns. Fitzgerald enjoyed a strong season in 2024, but last year, he batted .217 with just four home runs and 14 RBIs across 217 at-bats in 72 games. In other moves, left-hander Josh Fleming was designated for assignment after making his Blue Jays debut in Monday night’s loss. Fleming ran into trouble during his three innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs and one walk, while striking out one. The 29-year-old struggled with command, throwing only 45 of his 77 pitches for strikes. The newly signed Patrick Corbin was called up from Dunedin, replacing Fleming on the big league roster. The Blue Jays signed Corbin to a one-year, $1 million contract on Saturday, as their rotation continues to deal with injuries. In one Single-A start, Corbin threw 74 pitches over five innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out nine. The Blue Jays have announced Corbin will start on Friday when the Twins visit the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays also announced some recovery timelines for a few of their most recent injured players. Catcher Alejandro Kirk had a screw placed in his thumb and is looking like he’s set to miss six weeks. At the same time, they announced that starter Cody Ponce will undergo knee surgery next week and is estimated to have a six-month recovery timeline, effectively ending his regular season. A playoff run could allow for Ponce to return this year and pitch with the club after signing a three-year, $30 million contract with Toronto on December 11. View full article

The injury nightmare continues. The Toronto Blue Jays have announced that starting catcher Alejandro Kirk will be heading to the injured list with a fractured left thumb. Kirk has also been diagnosed with a dislocation in his thumb and is set to meet with a doctor in the coming days to plan out next steps. Kirk sustained the injury during the 10th inning of Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox. With one out and the tying run on third base, Austin Hays foul-tipped a Jeff Hoffman splitter down onto Kirk’s catching hand, which resulted in the fracture. Kirk left the game immediately and was replaced by Tyler Heineman. Through five games this season, Kirk is batting .150 with one home run and two RBI’s across 20 at-bats. The 27-year-old is coming off a strong 2025 season, during which the catcher was named an All-Star for the second time in his career. In 130 games last season, he batted .282 with a career-high 15 home runs and 76 RBI’s. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays announced that they called up Brandon Valenzuela from Triple-A Buffalo. The 25-year-old was acquired last season at the trade deadline for infielder Will Wagner. In four games this season with the Bisons, Valenzuela has hit .200 with one home run and four RBI’s. Valenzuela does bring offensive upside to the Blue Jays, as he is coming off a season in which he hit .224 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI’s split between both Double-A and Triple-A. In Kirk’s absence, Heineman and Valenzuela are expected to get the lion's share of playing time behind the plate as the Blue Jays try to survive the early-season injury bug. In 2026, Heineman has three hits across seven at-bats as the 34-year-old looks to build on his career year in 2025. The switch-hitting Heineman appeared in 64 games, batting .289 with three home runs and 20 RBI’s. Heineman is starting and batting ninth during the second meeting of the Blue Jays and White Sox’s three-game series. More to come... View full article

On Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Cody Ponce has been diagnosed with a right ACL sprain and will miss a significant period of time. Ponce sustained the injury after trying to field a groundball off the bat of Jake McCarthy, which resulted in the 31-year-old’s knee buckling as he reached down to try to collect the ball. It is yet to be determined if Ponce suffered a full or partial tear, and he will meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache next week to see if he needs surgery. No matter what, Ponce isn’t expected to return to the field any time soon. The right-hander signed a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason after impressing during his time in Korea. Last season, Ponce was named MVP of the KBO after going 17-1 with an ERA of 1.89 and a WHIP of 0.93. While no injury news comes at a good time, the Ponce diagnosis further depleted an already undermanned rotation. Shane Bieber is dealing with forearm fatigue and is only progressing to throwing off a mound this weekend, José Berríos continues to work his way back from a stress fracture in his right elbow, and Trey Yesavage is going to throw in a simulated game on Friday after being diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement at the end of spring training. Of those three injured pitchers, Berríos feels like the safest bet to return first. The veteran is expected to face live batters on Saturday, and if all goes well, he could head out on a rehab assignment the following week. Berríos threw 63 pitches in his last spring outing before being shut down, so the 31-year-old may only need two or three rehab starts, which would put his timeline to return somewhere around the end of April. Yesavage didn’t appear in a game all spring and is expected to throw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Friday. If all goes well, the 22-year-old could work his way to a rehab assignment the following week. With a full ramp-up likely needed, Yesavage feels like an option when the calendar flips to May. Bieber remains the biggest question mark, considering he's dealing with forearm tightness. The 30-year-old is coming off a season in which he returned from Tommy John surgery, so the Blue Jays will be cautious with their 2025 trade deadline acquisition. Bieber is starting from almost zero, so it will be like the first day of spring training for the right-hander when he starts to pitch again. A return in late May or early June feels like the best course of action. Currently locked into the Blue Jays’ rotation are Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Eric Lauer and Max Scherzer, leaving one spot open and little depth to fill it. Toronto’s bullpen has already been taxed due to the Ponce injury and several close ballgames, so reinforcements need to come in a hurry. Lazaro Estrada was recalled after the Blue Jays placed Ponce on the 15-day injured list, giving the club an option for multiple innings out of their bullpen. Last season in Buffalo, Estrada made 20 starts with the Bisons. In 26 appearances, the right-hander saw mixed results. He went 4-7 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He also gave up seven runs on 10 hits in 7.1 big league innings. Adam Macko could be a dark horse to get a look for Toronto, but both of his outings this season with the Bisons have come in relief. The left-hander has pitched in 3 ⅓ innings, allowing no runs and two hits and striking out four. Chase Lee, who was acquired this offseason from the Detroit Tigers, could be called up to join the bullpen with the ability to provide some length. Last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 MLB games, pitching 37 ⅓ innings while posting a 4-1 record with an ERA of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.10. He has thrown two innings in each of his Triple-A appearances so far in 2026. Yariel Rodríguez remains a name to consider, but after being waived this offseason and sent to the minor leagues, the right-hander has gotten off to a slow start. In two appearances, spanning 2 ⅔ innings, the 29-year-old has allowed two runs on two hits and three walks, flashing some of the control issues that flared up at the end of last season. One aspect working in the Blue Jays’ favour in April is the four off days in their schedule. The team won’t play on April 2, 9, 13, and 23, leaving the door open for them to largely rely on the four true starters they currently have. That being said, the Blue Jays will still have to be cautious with all four of those pitchers, given the 156 games that lie ahead. This is a team that has become in need of arms in a hurry. View full article

History was made on Friday night during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 3-2 win against the Athletics in their first game of the 2026 MLB season. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman struck out 11 Athletics batters, surpassing the previous Opening Day record of nine strikeouts, which was previously achieved by Roy Halladay in 2002 and Esteban Loaiza in 2001. Gausman also became the seventh pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 11 strikeouts and zero walks on Opening Day. Gausman went six innings, allowing only one hit, a solo home run to Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers in the fourth inning. In what was one of the most dominant starts of his entire Blue Jays tenure, Gausman only required 83 pitches to get through his six innings, a very efficient mark when accounting for the 11 strikeouts. The party started early at the Rogers Centre, with Gausman striking out the side in the first inning after an emotional ceremony honouring the 2025 Blue Jays, who went on a run to the World Series before falling to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7. The Opening Day start was the third of Gausman’s career and his first in a Blue Jays uniform. Gausman toyed with the young Athletics lineup on Friday, touching 96 mph with his fastball while also generating 10 swings and misses on the 19 of his splitters at which his opponents swung. For the most part, Gausman is a two-pitch pitcher, mixing his four-seam fastball with his wipeout splitter. Even when batters can narrow their sights down to two pitches, Gausman proves why hitting aces at the big league level is so difficult. Eight of Gausman’s 11 strikeouts came on the splitter, which consistently had its bottom drop off as if the 35-year-old had a string attached to the ball. Eight of the strikeouts were also of the swinging variety, as Athletics hitters continued to guess wrong as to what they thought was coming. After the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on an Andrés Giménez two-run triple, Gausman returned for the sixth, setting down Jeff McNeil, Denzel Clarke and Nick Kurtz on 15 pitches to keep the momentum on the Blue Jays’ side. Gausman left in line for the win, but a second Langeliers home run of the night in the ninth inning off closer Jeff Hoffman put an end to Gausman’s bid for an Opening Day victory. Thankfully, the Blue Jays still pulled off the win on a walk-off single by Giménez. With fellow starters Shane Bieber, José Berríos and Trey Yesavage all unable to begin the season due to various ailments, the durable Gausman showed why he’s become a fan-favourite in Toronto. If Friday night was any indication of what the 35-year-old has in store for 2026, then this could be his best season in a very strong five years north of the border. Gausman’s next start is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, when the Blue Jays host the Colorado Rockies at 1:07 p.m. ET. View full article

When it rains, it pours. A day after the Toronto Blue Jays announced that José Berríos would miss the start of the season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow, manager John Schneider told the media that right-hander Trey Yesavage will open the season on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. The Blue Jays had slowly been building Yesavage up in spring training, as the 22-year-old had yet to pitch in a game during the exhibition slate. Last season, the young righty took the baseball world by storm, joining the Blue Jays in September before becoming a major piece of the team’s run to the World Series. Yesavage started the season with Single-A Dunedin and made quick stops in Vancouver, New Hampshire and Buffalo before joining the Blue Jays on September 15. He pitched 112 regular season innings between the minor and major leagues. In the playoffs, the first-round pick from 2024 added 27 2/3 more frames, bringing his season total to 139 2/3. During the regular season with the Blue Jays, Yesavage made three starts, going 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, striking out 16 batters over 14 innings. The playoffs brought on a whole new Yesavage; he pitched to a record of 3-1, an ERA of 3.58, and a WHIP of 1.05. He struck out 39 batters in 27 ⅔ innings and held opposing hitters to a .188 average. The Blue Jays’ starting rotation picture is becoming clearer due to the injury bug. With no Berríos, no Yesavage and Shane Bieber still building up after dealing with forearm fatigue, the five spots now appear to have worked themselves out. Kevin Gausman has the Opening Day assignment. Offseason acquisition Dylan Cease will likely slot in behind Gausman, followed by fellow acquisition Cody Ponce, veteran Max Scherzer and left-hander Eric Lauer. Scherzer has looked very impressive this spring. The 41-year-old has appeared in two games, allowing no runs over 8 ⅔ innings and holding opposing batters to an average of .074. Scherzer, who signed on March 2, made it clear he would be ready for Opening Day, and Blue Jays fans are sure thankful for that now. With Lauer most likely shifting to the rotation, the door is now open for another reliever to slot into the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Tommy Nance is out of options, and after putting together a strong 2025, he could claim the role when the season opens. Two other options that remain are Rule 5 draft pick Angel Bastardo, who needs to be on the roster or be offered back to the Boston Red Sox, and right-hander Lázaro Estrada. The Blue Jays’ depth will be tested right away as the club hunts to return to the World Series and claim their first title since 1993. View full article

The Toronto Blue Jays’ starting rotation depth is going to be tested right away. On Wednesday morning, the team announced that right-hander José Berríos will not be ready to open the 2025-26 season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow. Prior to joining Team Puerto Rico for the quarterfinals at the World Baseball Classic, Berríos underwent a precautionary MRI for insurance purposes, which revealed elbow inflammation. That resulted in the 31-year-old going for a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, who diagnosed the stress fracture. Per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Blue Jays manager John Schneider states that Berríos remains pain-free, and the team hopes that he will return to throwing soon and pitch through the injury. In 2025, Berríos made 31 appearances, with 30 of them coming as a starter. Across those 31 outings, he went 9-5 with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.30, striking out 138 batters in 166 innings. Berríos, nicknamed “La Makina” (“The Machine”), had been a model of consistency in his career, routinely making 32 starts and delivering quality innings for both the Minnesota Twins and Blue Jays. Last season, Berríos made his first career trip to the injured list, dealing with right elbow inflammation in September, which ultimately ended his season. His latest elbow issue is supposedly unrelated. The questions surrounding the Jays’ rotation only grow now. With Berríos sidelined, Shane Bieber still ramping up after dealing with forearm fatigue (he's yet to throw a pitch in a game), and the Blue Jays slowly building up Trey Yesavage in what will be his first full season at the MLB level, Toronto's depth is slowly being depleted. Kevin Gausman has the Opening Day assignment, and Dylan Cease appears likely to follow. After that, the questions are plentiful. Cody Ponce, making his MLB return, will have a role, and 41-year-old Max Scherzer should be guaranteed a role in the rotation, as long as he's ready come Opening Day. The fifth and final spot will likely be split between Yesavage on a pitch limit and left-hander Eric Lauer. Having to use Lauer as a piggyback partner for Yesavage could prompt the Blue Jays to keep Lázaro Estrada on the roster for Opening Day. Estrada has shown the ability to throw multiple innings in an outing, something the Blue Jays could be getting desperate for as injuries continue to pop up. The Blue Jays open their regular season at home on Friday, March 27, against the Athletics. View full article

On Saturday morning, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced that right-hander Kevin Gausman will be the club's Opening Day starter when the Blue Jays’ season kicks off on Friday, March 27, at the Rogers Centre against the Athletics. This marks the first time that Gausman has been tasked with the Opening Day role in a Blue Jays uniform, though it will be the third Opening Day start of his big league career. Gausman’s first Opening Day start came in 2017 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, then again in 2021 with the San Francisco Giants. Speaking to the media this morning, Schneider touched on the decision to give the 35-year-old the ball for game one. “Pumped for him, pumped for us. About time he got one, kind of what me and Pete [Walker] told him,” Schneider said (per Sportsnet). “Still figuring out the rest of the rotation, how that lines up, but I'm excited for Kevin to get us going.” Gausman is entering the final year of his five-year, $110 million contract, which he signed on December 1, 2021. Over his Blue Jays’ career, Gausman has pitched to a 48-41 record, while posting an ERA of 3.48. Last season, Gausman was brilliant for the Blue Jays, producing an ERA of 3.59, a FIP of 3.41 and a WHIP of 1.06. Across 32 regular season starts, Gausman struck out 189 batters over 193 innings pitched, relying on his devastating splitter to leave hitters in knots at the plate. Gausman held opponents to a .216 batting average, the second-best mark of his career. During the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series, Gausman only got better. In six appearances, he pitched to an ERA of 2.93. The right-hander tossed 30 ⅓ innings, recording 26 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .159 average. As the Blue Jays are dealing with injuries to José Berríos and Shane Bieber, while also slowly bringing rookie Trey Yesavage along, Gausman will be tasked with leading a rotation that is hopefully going to be a strength for the team in 2026. View full rumor

After being a relatively unknown commodity entering spring training last season, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mason Fluharty changed his story. Major League Baseball’s 2026 regular season is just two weeks away, and Fluharty is expected to contribute meaningful innings for Toronto. After being invited to Blue Jays camp as a non-roster invitee in 2025, Fluharty impressed, pitching to an ERA of 1.29 across seven innings, holding opposing batters to a .217 average against. That successful spring earned Fluharty a call-up on Mar. 30. He made his debut against the Washington Nationals on Apr. 1, throwing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. On the season, Fluharty appeared in 55 games for the Blue Jays, pitching to a 5-2 record, an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.14 across 52 ⅔ innings. The fifth-round draft pick from 2022 impressed, mainly relying on a cutter-sweeper combination to limit hard contact and strike out a total of 56 batters. Fluharty’s average exit velocity of 86.6 mph placed him in the 95th percentile of MLB pitchers. His FIP came in at 3.97, backing up the assertion that the left-hander was better than his surface-level numbers showcased. One area of concern for Fluharty was his walks. He issued 28 free passes, which gave him an 11.2% walk rate, ranking in the bottom 10% in MLB. His command remained an issue in the postseason, as Fluharty posted four walks in 6 ⅓ innings. That was certainly a factor in his October struggles, resulting in a 5.68 ERA in 11 appearances. A strength that Fluharty showed was his ability to get both left- and right-handed batters out over the course of last season. Left-handers hit .182 against him, while right-handers could only muster a .202 average. The cutter that he used 58% of the time was effective at getting in on right-handers, while the sweeper helped hold lefties in check. Fluharty’s defining moment in 2025 came at Dodger Stadium in August, against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Blue Jays staked to a 5-4 lead, closer Jeff Hoffman walked three batters in the ninth, loading the bases with one out and the daunting Shohei Ohtani due up. Manager John Schneider made the call for Fluharty, who ended up striking out Ohtani and retiring Mookie Betts on a forceout to third base, earning himself his first career MLB save. Through three appearances this spring (as of March 10), Fluharty has posted a 2.45 ERA in 3 ⅔ innings. The 24-year-old has allowed five hits but has yet to give up a walk, a welcome sign for Blue Jays coaches and fans. His five strikeouts are great to see, as teams are always looking for relievers with the ability to miss bats to slot into key roles in the bullpen. Three southpaws are likely to play key roles for the Blue Jays bullpen in 2026: Fluharty, Brendon Little and Eric Lauer. Little’s late-season struggles were well documented last year, and if those return, Fluharty could possibly become the top left-hander in the bullpen. Lauer looks like he’s going to take on a piggyback type of role, at least to start the year, as the Blue Jays build up Trey Yesavage and Max Scherzer, while Shane Bieber also continues to deal with forearm fatigue. The 2026 season is drawing closer, and Fluharty has a chance to play a key role on a Blue Jays team looking to get back to the World Series and ultimately claim their first title since 1993. View full article

Trey Yesavage took the baseball world by storm last October, shining on baseball’s biggest stage against some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars. Last season, Yesavage climbed the ranks of the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system, starting the season in Single-A with Dunedin before finishing the 2025 campaign as a member of the Blue Jays’ rotation in the World Series. In total, Yesavage pitched in 139 ⅔ innings with 27 ⅔ of those coming during the Blue Jays’ postseason run. Selected in the first-round, 20th overall during the 2024 MLB draft and still only 22-years-old, the Blue Jays will be tasked with making sure that Yesavage remains healthy as he enters his first season at the professional level. Yesavage has yet to make an appearance during a spring training game, slowly building his way up, going along with the plan the Blue Jays have put in place. Speaking to Sportsnet’s Ben-Nicholson Smith, Yesavage spoke on the Blue Jays’ plan to play it cautious with the right-hander’s workload. “They’re taking me slow, slower than anyone else in here,” Yesavage said. “I know they have my best interests in mind, so I have all the faith in them for whatever they plan the future to look like. I’m just following orders, per se.” With under three weeks until opening day, the likely scenario is that Yesavage appears in two or three spring games before the Blue Jays break camp and head to Toronto to prepare for opening day against the Athletics. Blue Jays manager John Schneider has already said that the Blue Jays aren’t about to ask Yesavage to throw 200-plus innings this season, so that sets up Yesavage to be on a pitch limit through portions of the season. What Does This Mean? This is where the Blue Jays’ depth of arms comes into play. Currently, they have Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease and José Berríos appearing to be slotted into rotation spots. Shane Bieber, if healthy, will claim a role, leaving Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer as other potential options heading into 2026. Scherzer, like Yesavage, is still being worked into games due to his late signing, so he may not be an option when the regular season begins. Bieber hasn’t worked his way into a game yet either, leaving room for doubt that he will be ready to open the season. This means that Yesavage and Lauer working as a tandem to begin the season in one of the rotation spots may be the most likely scenario. Last season, Lauer worked as both a starter and reliever, going 9-2 with an ERA of 3.18, FIP of 3.85 and a WHIP of 1.10, while holding opposing batters to a .227 average. The left-hander would provide a different look either opening for Yesavage or coming in following the tall right-hander. Both pitchers made appearances out of the bullpen last year, so this is something that wouldn’t be completely foreign to either. Using both Yesavage and Lauer on the same day could raise concerns about the overuse of the bullpen. That will require the following day’s starter to provide length if the Blue Jays are routinely forced to use three-to-four relievers on days that Yesavage pitches early in the season. Using the Yesavage-Lauer combo in the team’s fifth spot would make sense, leaving whoever the Blue Jays choose to start the year with as the follow-up, likely being one of Gausman or Cease, who routinely throw quality starts. While in a perfect world, Yesavage could throw a full-season, but as the Blue Jays look to protect last year’s star, depth will come into play as Yesavage continues to grow as a pitcher in MLB. View full article