Blue Jays southpaw Ryan Borucki is throwing off of a mound without issue, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Walker says he expects Borucki to “be right in the mix” on the MLB staff if and when the 2020 campaign gets underway.
Any time you see a pitcher shut down with elbow tightness, it’s hard not to fear the worst. But indications of late have been that Borucki was feeling better and improving. Now it seems clear he’s ramping back towards full speed.
There’s certainly no reason to rush the process for the southpaw, who celebrated his 26th birthday at the end of March. With no reason to anticipate a near-term resumption of Spring Training — let alone the launch of the regular season — there’s ample time to build up slowly.
That only makes the news of this progress more encouraging, as it seems he’s allowing his body to dictate the pace. Walker says that Borucki’s left arm “feels great.” A little added rest may confer long-term benefits for the the former 15th-round draft pick, who only made six starts at all levels in 2019 owing to bone spurs in his pitching elbow.
The Jays are no doubt anxious to see a fully healthy Borucki back on the hill. He showed quite well in his first MLB action, throwing 97 2/3 innings of 3.87 ERA ball in 2018. While the Toronto organization added a bunch of new arms to its rotation mix, there’s little question that some need and opportunity will arise at some point, and Borucki figures to be among the top candidates to step in when the time comes.
Good Luck!!
That Toronto staff is very interesting to watch and will be for the next few years.
When r they gonna tear down that boiler room
Borucki can be a #2 if healthy. He is a money starter is he can stay healthy. The Jays are going to need him too, other than Pearson and Ryu, the starting rotation cupboard is very bare.
Woods-Richardson, Manoah, Pardinho, Kay to name a few.
No, just no. Woods-R will be a reliever if he ever makes the bigs. Kay is #4 at best. Manoah is years and years away as is Pardinho.
Give it a rest toting these kids who haven’t proven anything., The Jays starting pitching cupboard is bare other than Ryu, Pearson and Borucki. Yeeesh. #Scouteyes
I think I’ll trust Baseball America over you for this one.
Don’t mind this guy he’s been trolling jays fans for years. He hates guys like Kay and SRW and Manoah because the current front office brought them in. It’s been a schtick for years.
JD did you ever notice that time has proven me correct in most of my scouting opinions?
It’s nothing personal against Shapiro or Atkins, they are incompetent. I called it at the end of 2016 how things would go for the Jays organization for years and has been quite accurate.
Most of the Jays scouting hype and Jays news is false hope hype that won’t come to fruition and I call it as such.
You’re funny man. I look forward to reading more of your comedic takes
Kay probably is a #4… but that’s still really valuable. Jays just gave $24 million to Roark to be a #4 for the next two years. Manoah is a few years away but a great prospect.
Nobody has called SWR a future reliever to this point. Most pitching prospects flame out so maybe he ends up there… but he would not be jumping into top 100 prospect lists if that was the expectation.
Ryu and Pearson up front with Roark, Anderson, Shoemaker, Borucki, Thornton, Kay, SRF and Waguespack behind them is quite ok by me for 2020. Sign another FA for 2021 and things are looking really good.
So you think you’re some sort of clairvoyant because you were able to see the same thing as others? The only people that didn’t have a clue about what would happen after 2016 were the casual band wagoners that hadn’t followed the team for decades. You have no idea whether SWR will be a reliever just like I can’t guarantee that he’ll turn out to be money no matter how much I believe he will be.
Check your ego at the door. Your nowhere near qualified to claim that you’re smarter than actual scouts or professionals that work in baseball.
@”jimmertee” your #scouteyes are about as sharp as helen keller’s. and given your touting of how incompetent shapiro/atkins are compared to previous mgmt, i’m pretty sure you struggle with history too, so i’ll help you out a bit… helen keller was blind. as far as your comment about the pitching cupboard let me see
2015 Jays SP Depth – Opening Day (under AA – competing year)
Drew Hutchison (lol opening day starter)
Dickey, Buehrle, Sanchez, Norris
Depth: Albers, Redmund, Estrada, Copeland, Francis, Jenkins, Wolff
2020 Jays SP Depth – Opening Day (under Atkins/Shapiro – rebuild)
Hyun Jin Ryu
Roark, Shoemaker, Borucki, Pearson
Depth: Thornton, Anderson, Yamaguchi, Kay, Waguespeck, Hatch, Murphy,
I guess the only question left to ask is… are you serious?
Our 9th best starter in 2020 is Anthony Kay. In 2015 it was Scott Copeland.
Our opening day starter in 2020 is Ryu. In 2015 it was (LOL again) Drew Hutchison.
just stop man.
You forgot Stroman in 2015. Yes he was hurt but nobody knew that in February.
Too soon to judge SWR, Borucki isn’t a #2, Kay is a #8, Zeuch a #9, need to find out how Manoak handles starting, too soon to judge Kloffenstein, Reid-Foley is a reliever who was probably judged as at least a #3 by a few people here just a few years ago.
No it is not too soon to judge SWR. IF he makes it, it will be as a reliever. But that is years away.
Reid Foley could be a good starter if someone could show him how to have some sort of control. Most of the time he doesn’t know where the ball is going when it leaves his hand.
#scouteyes? I can clearly see more than you and i fancy myself half blind!
The last team Shapiro was the President of operations of had a rotation of Kluber, Carrasco, Salazar, Clevenger and Bauer. All acquired as prospects, drafted, or signed as amateurs,I think he knows a little more about building a rotation then you.
SWR is 19, you must be one of the top screen/keyboard scouts, he just pitched his first year of A-ball.
SWR is still 19 and would probably start in New Hampshire. Until he reaches AAA it is too soon to judge.
Reid-Foley does not throw strikes. “Could” is not part of the vocabulary. It is “can” or “can’t”. Thus far, Reid-Foley is a can’t.
Alford is also a “can’t”. You lift him up and tear down Bichette. This is a results-driven business and Alford has never delivered. Fix your talking points.
Vlad – Shapiro was about to hand Justin Masterson a massive extension that would have crippled Cleveland. Masterson and his agent turned it down and saved Shapiro. Had he signed it he would have been fired and probably never gets hired in Toronto. The Indians turned things around when he, allegedly, removed himself from any and all player personnel decisions.
What about that great prediction you kept repeating that Bichette was a bust? That was a good one, bet you hoped noone remembered that eh? It’s easy to just say every prospect is no good like you do….it’s baseball man, most prospects don’t hit their potential. Doesn’t make you a scout to just bet with the odds. Just stop with the scouts eyes bs…..noone takes you serious man.
I have never written Bichette will be a bust.. Never.
What I said is that his body [wrists and core] are not elite calibre and he will eventually settle into a below average major leaguer, probably at 2nd base. Time will likely prove this right over the next few years.
Please keep it professional. There is never a valid reason to insult anyone in these pages.
still one of the worst and most baseless takes we’ve ever seen on this site
Lol what are you basing your evaluation off of? How do you know about the strength and conditioning of his wrists and core? Seems like a reach, you’re just guessing based on his size.
Great to see Borucki on the road to recovery. The Jays need all the pitching they can get.
This off period helps Borucki. Second straight year with arm problems. This time off allows him to build up and build toward next year. He had a good showing in 2018. Would be a shame if he can’t stay healthy.
really hope Borucki can stay healthy. he has tons of talent.