Steve Drumwright

Despite a first half filled with struggles, the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays will have two players starting in the All-Star Game. Two pitchers are going, too. With second baseman Ernie Clement having punched his ticket as the top vote-getter among AL players in the first round of voting, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was also voted in by the fans in results announced Saturday. Right-handed starter Dylan Cease and right-handed reliever Louis Varland were also named to the team. The All-Star Game is July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. While Guerrero is in for the sixth straight time, Clement, Cease and Varland are first-time All-Stars. Guerrero said he will sit out the game to rest his lower back, which has been hurting him. Jays manager John Schneider will manage the AL team. Clement, a Blue Jays fan favorite, entered Saturday with a slash line of .295/.319/.434 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. He leads the AL with 22 doubles. Guerrero has had a subpar first half with a slash line of .268/.349/.350 and just four homers and 35 RBIs. His career slash line is .287/.364/.484 and has hit at least 23 homers in the previous five seasons. Cease has a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts and 90⅓ innings with an 11% walk rate and career-best 36.7% strikeout rate. Varland, acquired at last year’s trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins and a key bullpen component as they made their World Series run, has a 0.96 ERA in 47 innings over 42 games. He has a 7.2% walk rate and career-best 35.9% strikeout rate. The nine starters for each team were determined by two rounds of fan balloting, with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Clement getting automatically selected to start by virtue of leading the first round in the NL and AL, respectively. The 23 reserves, which includes 12 pitchers as that position is not up for voting, are selected by player voting and the Commissioner's Office, which ensures that each team has a representative in the game. View full rumor

The Toronto Blues are going to have to make do without George Springer for a few days. For a good reason. The Jays on Wednesday placed the designated hitter on the paternity list and called up outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Buffalo. Springer, who is slashing .221/.308/.373 this year, is allowed to be away from the team for up to three days for the birth of a child. Clase is up with the Jays for the first time this season. At Triple-A, the switch-hitter was slashing .223/.321/.359 with five homers, 23 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 53 games. He has appeared in 60 games with the Jays over the last two seasons with a .224/.294/.311 slash line, hitting three homers and driving in 14. View full rumor

The call-up of Sean Keys is official, but it comes at the same time as a key injury. The Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday selected the contract of Keys, a corner infielder, from Triple-A Buffalo so he can make his MLB debut. The Jays also called up outfielder Yohendrick Pinango from Buffalo, while placing outfielder Jesus Sanchez on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle and optioning outfielder Davis Schneider to Triple-A. Room on the 40-man roster for Keys was made Friday with right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson being designated for assignment. The news of Keys' promotion broke Friday. He has hit 21 homers this season between Double-A and Triple-A. Sanchez's injury is new, however. He left Friday's 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers as he smacked into the wall while backtracking to catch a fly ball to end the seventh inning. Sanchez, acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Houston Astros, has been a key part of the Jays' offense and is slashing .274/.316/.437 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in 73 games. Pinango is up with the Jays for the third time this season. He has a .283/.331/.433 slash line in 43 games, hitting four homers and driving in 18. Schneider is back in Buffalo for the second time this season. He was initially sent down to try and straighten out his lack of offense, but was needed back up due to an injury. Schneider has put up a .222/.241/.519 slash line with two homers and four RBIs in 11 games since returning, improving his overall numbers to .153/.282/.296 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 49 games. View full rumor

Despite not allowing a run, Simeon Woods Richardson's stay with the Toronto Blue Jays didn't last very long. The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Friday to make room for left-handed reliever Adam Macko. Woods Richardson, acquired June 3 from the Minnesota Twins for cash after being DFA'd, made three relief appearances for the Jays, throwing 10 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and seven walks with five strikeouts. The walks could have been a contributing factor to Woods Richardson being DFA'd by the Jays. With the Twins, Woods Richardson had a 6.17 FIP (7.74 ERA) in 10 starts and two relief appearances covering 47⅔ innings with an 11% walk rate and 11.5% strikeout rate. His walk rate with the Jays in the small sample size was 18.4%, with his strikeout rate up a bit to 13.2%. Macko gives the Jays a much-needed second left-hander in the bullpen next to Mason Fluharty. Macko is up for the second time this season after making his MLB debut in May. In 12 games, Macko has a 2.94 FIP (1.50 ERA) with a 4.2% walk rate and 25% strikeout rate over 12 innings. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting a power boost. Corner infielder Sean Keys, Jays Centre's No. 7 prospect, is reportedly being called up from Triple-A Buffalo to make his MLB debut. The move will be made before Saturday's game. Keys hit his 21st homer of the season Thursday for Buffalo. KEYS_VIDEO_0626.mp4 That followed a two-homer game Wednesday. Keys now has seven homers since being called up from Double-A New Hampshire on June 5. Between the two stops, Keys is slashing .284/.409/.619 with 54 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 67 games. At Buffalo, he has a .281/.403/.719 slash line with 20 RBIs in 18 games. Keys was the Jays' fourth-round draft choice in 2024 out of Bucknell. Moves to accommodate Keys on the 26- and 40-man rosters will need to be made, much less where he fits into the Jays' lineup. View full rumor

After a long wait, Shane Bieber is back. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner was activated off the 60-day injured list by the Toronto Blue Jays and will start Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros. To make room for Bieber, right-handed reliever Lazaro Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo and right-handed reliever Hayden Juenger was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Bieber has been out since spring training with inflammation in his right elbow. Bieber was acquired by the Jays at last year's trade deadline while he was on the injured list as he made his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2024. He made seven starts in the regular season, posting a 3.57 ERA in 40⅓ innings. In the postseason, he made four starts and came on in relief in Game 7 of the World Series, giving up the fateful homer to Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Estrada came off the 60-day IL himself Saturday following a right shoulder impingement and made one relief appearance, tossing 2⅓ innings, allowing a two-run homer vs. the Chicago Cubs on the day of his return. Juenger was called up May 30 to make his MLB debut, which happened the next day as he surrendered three runs on two hits and two walks in one inning. He made one more appearance June 3, a scoreless inning vs. Atlanta, before being sent down the next day. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays are going with an extra infielder rather than a bonus outfielder. Infielder Luis Urias had his contract selected from Triple-A Buffalo by the Jays on Monday, with outfielder Yohendrick Pinango sent back to Buffalo. Urias was just acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash. Urias had yet to play a game with Buffalo after appearing in 27 games at Triple-A with the D'backs where he had a .361/.393/.546 slash line with three home runs and 19 RBIs. He played in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico, but started the season on the injured list. He was with the A's last season, playing in 96 games and slashing .230/.315/.338 with eight homers and 25 RBIs. Pinango was in his second call-up this year after making his MLB debut in late April. Between the two stints, he has been a very nice contributor with a .283/.331/.433 slash line with four homers and 18 RBIs in 43 games. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays have more infield depth. The Jays on Saturday acquired infielder Luis Urias from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a cash trade. Urias was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. He had been with Triple-A Reno for the D'backs. Urias, 29, signed a minor-league contract with the D'backs in March, but began the season on the seven-day injured list after playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. He came back in early May, slashing .361/.393/.546 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 27 games. He last appeared in MLB last season, playing in 96 games with the A's and posting a .230/.315/.338 slash line with eight homers and 25 RBIs. He has a career mark of .231/.329/.378 over eight seasons. View full rumor

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of their key offensive pieces back. Center fielder Daulton Varsho was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday by the Blue Jays, who also got right-handed reliever Lazaro Estrada back from the 60-day IL. Second baseman Charles McAdoo and left-handed reliever Brendon Little were optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room. Varsho missed the minimum time due to inflammation in his left wrist. Varsho is slashing .256/.331/.408 with five homers and 17 RBIs this season. Estrada has been out since April 5 with a right shoulder impingement. He had made one appearance, going four scoreless innings, not allowing a hit while walking a pair and striking out three. He has been on a rehab assignment the last three weeks. McAdoo made his MLB debut by appearing in eight games, going 4-for-25 with a homer and three RBIs. Little was called up Friday and pitched one inning in the Jays' 16-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He allowed four runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout. View full rumor

Turns out that Chad Dallas was just called up to be a safety net. The Toronto Blue Jays on Friday optioned the right-hander back to Triple-A Buffalo and called up left-hander Brendon Little from Buffalo. Dallas was called up Wednesday when right-handed starter Max Scherzer went on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. Despite it being a bullpen game that day, Dallas did not appear in his second MLB game. Nor did he appear in Thursday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Now as the Jays open a series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, they opted to have a left-hander in the bullpen over the right-handed Dallas. Little, whom the Jays acquired from the Cubs after the 2023 season, is up for the second time this season after making the Opening Day roster. He appeared in five games before being sent to Triple-A, with a 24.55 ERA in 3⅔ innings with three walks and six strikeouts. He did give up 11 runs (10 earned) and 10 hits, including three homers. View full rumor

The return of right-hander Max Scherzer to the Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation lasted one week. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, went back on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with back spasms. Right-hander Chad Dallas was called up from Triple-A Buffalo. Scherzer, 41, came off the 15-day IL a week ago Wednesday after missing more than a month with right forearm tendinitis, but lasted just 3⅓ innings and gave up five runs in a 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He would have been in line to start Wednesday, but right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher got the call as an opener. Dallas is back with the Jays after making his MLB debut June 4. In that 7-2 win over Atlanta, Dallas was the bulk guy after Mason Fluharty opened. Dallas went 3⅔ with one run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Eight of his 11 appearances with Buffalo have been as a starter. Whether he sticks around is another issue. Right-hander Shane Bieber had a rehab start Wednesday and could be ready to return to the rotation. Bieber has not pitched for the Jays this season after coming down with right elbow inflammation in spring training. View full rumor

The Captain is back, but the center fielder is down for a bit. In a busy day of transactions, catcher Alejandro Kirk was activated from the 10-day injured list and center fielder Daulton Varsho went on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation. Catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment to make room for Kirk on the 26-man roster, while outfielder Davis Schneider was called up from Triple-A Buffalo. Also, right-hander Yariel Rodriguez cleared waivers after being DFA'd and was outrighted to Triple-A, while right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia had his rehab assignment moved to Buffalo. Kirk has been out since April 4 with a fractured left thumb. He played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment before returning. Heineman was a casualty due to the play of rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who has slashed .252/.333/.457 with seven homers and 18 RBIS in 46 games since making his MLB debut this season. He was acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline for infielder Will Wagner. Heineman, meanwhile, had a .154/.205/.205 slash line with a homer and six RBIs in 33 games. Varsho had hoped to avoid going on the IL and took batting practice before Wednesday's game, but obviously was not ready to play in a game. Varsho, a terrific defender, has a slash line of .256/.331/.408, including five homers and 17 RBIs in 64 games. Schneider was demoted due to struggling on offense with a .127/.295/.211 slash line in 38 games. He hasn't been much better in 14 games at Buffalo, where he has slashed .188/.550/.219. Rodriguez was DFA'd Monday and was not claimed, not surprising considering he is owed the prorated portion of his $7 million salary this year and $14 million more the next two. Garcia is close to returning, perhaps needing only one or two appearances at Triple-A before being activated. He has been out since spring training last year after having surgery on his right ulnar nerve and right AC joint. View full rumor