Blue Jays Select Yohendrick Pinango, Place Nathan Lukes On 10-Day Injured List

The Blue Jays announced that outfielder Nathan Lukes has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain.  Taking Lukes’ place on the active roster is outfield prospect Yohendrick Pinango, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Buffalo.  Right-hander Yimi Garcia was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL in order to create space for Pinango on Toronto’s 40-man roster.  Prior to the Jays’ official announcement, the Ander Beisbol X account was the first to report that Pinango was on his way to the Show for his first taste of MLB action.

Friday’s 8-6 Jays loss to the Guardians saw Lukes lead off the bottom of the first with a double, but the right fielder then had to be replaced by pinch-runner Davis Schneider due to the hamstring issue.  Blue Jays manager John Schneider is expected to update reporters today on the outcome of Lukes’ MRI, though obviously the problem was immediately serious enough to warrant an IL placement.

George Springer (toe fracture) and Addison Barger (ankle sprain) are making progress in their recoveries and could be activated from the 10-day IL within a week’s time.  That said, Lukes is now the 12th player on Toronto’s current injured list, adding to what has been a snakebitten start to the Blue Jays’ defense of their American League title.

Lukes in particular has had a tough go of things, as the outfielder has spent much of the season plagued by vertigo symptoms.  A visit to a specialist in Phoenix during the Jays’ recent series with the Diamondbacks seemed to solve things — Lukes had just two hits over his first 34 trips to the plate before the Arizona series, but then posted a 1.260 OPS over his next 22 PA, going 11-for-21 with four doubles.

The hamstring strain both interrupts this hot streak for Lukes, and creates another vacancy in Toronto’s outfield.  The Jays have already had to dig pretty deep into their depth chart to address their many injuries on the pitching and position-player sides, and the situation has now created an opportunity for Pinango (who turns 24 next month) to make his big league debut.

Pinango began his career as a Cubs international signing in 2018, and he was dealt to the Jays along with minor league infielder Josh Rivera in the 2024 deadline trade that saw Nate Pearson sent to Wrigleyville.  Pinango hit .235/.335/.379 over his first 340 Triple-A plate appearances in 2025, and he has jumped out to a .288/.370/.488 slash line and three homers over 92 PA for Buffalo this season.

MLB Pipeline ranks Pinango as the 10th-best prospect in the Blue Jays’ farm system, with Baseball America slotting him 11th on their list.  His lack of defensive value hurts his ceiling, as Pinango is seen as a below-average corner outfielder at best who is probably best suited for a DH spot.  That puts more pressure on his bat, and his ability to consistently get the ball into the air.  When he is able to keep the ball off the ground, Pinango has displayed intriguing raw power to go along with his solid contact skills and excellent bat speed.

While Pinango lacks Lukes’ defensive upside, he’ll fill in as a left-handed option in Toronto’s outfield mix.  Pinango joins Jesus Sanchez as the left-handed hitting corner outfielders, with Davis Schneider and Myles Straw providing right-handed complements.

Garcia underwent surgery last September to fix scar tissue in his throwing elbow, and the Jays were slowplaying his ramp-up period throughout Spring Training and in the early part of the 2026 season.  The shift to the 60-man now delays Garcia’s 2026 debut until the last week of May, which doesn’t alter his planned timeline.  Garcia has been facing live batters in the latest step in his throwing progression, and the reliever may not be far away from a minor league rehab assignment.