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Blue Jays Place Max Scherzer On Injured List

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March 30: The Jays announced today that Scherzer is indeed being placed on the 15-day injured list, with the diagnosis of right thumb inflammation. Left-hander Easton Lucas was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move. Per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet, Schneider told reporters that Scherzer is headed to see a hand specialist to find out more about his thumb injury. Either Rodriguez or Lucas appears likely to join the rotation in Scherzer’s stead.

March 29: Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer exited his first start as a member of the Blue Jays after just 45 pitches, and Toronto later announced that his departure was due to soreness in his right lat.

As noted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Scherzer battled a thumb issue throughout Spring Training that appeared to be connected to the nerve issue that limited the veteran with the Rangers last season. Throughout camp, Matheson relays that Scherzer indicated that pitching through the thumb issue increased the risk of other injury issues and specifically highlighted his shoulder as a possible area of concern. Scherzer went on to confirm that the issue is related to his thumb, telling reporters (including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet) that after three innings he told manager John Schneider that there was “imminent danger” of a more serious injury if he continued to pitch.

While Scherzer noted that he and the team’s doctors have not yet figured out next steps, it sounds as though a trip to the injured list is likely in the right-hander’s future. As relayed by Matheson, Scherzer at the very least won’t be making his next scheduled start. He was next in line for a start on April 4 against the Mets in New York, though his status for games beyond that has not yet been announced. The veteran noted that he’ll need to get the thumb issue “to 100%” before he pitches again, and expressed frustration over the circumstances while emphasizing the importance of getting his thumb right.

“My arm is making adjustments because of that [thumb injury],” Scherzer said, as relayed by Matheson. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”

With an off-day scheduled for April 3, the Blue Jays won’t need another starter until April 8. That gives Scherzer just over a week to get right before he’d next be needed in the rotation, but it seems possible that the issue will take longer to resolve than that. Should Scherzer require a trip to the IL, Yariel Rodriguez could step into the rotation from the bullpen or the club could consider turning the vacant spot in the rotation over to youngster Jake Bloss. It seems likely the exact length of Scherzer’s absence won’t be available for at least a few days, though it’s possible a decision about the injured list could come early next week given that IL stints can be backdated a maximum of just three days.

Regardless of how long Scherzer ends up missing, the news has the potential to be a huge blow for a Blue Jays club that is attempting to claw its way out of fifth place in a deep AL East division to make it back to the postseason in what could be the final year franchise fixtures Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette spend in Toronto. Scherzer was one of the club’s most notable additions this winter alongside second baseman Andres Gimenez and Anthony Santander, and his addition was made in the hope that he could deepen a rotation that lost Yusei Kikuchi at the 2024 trade deadline.

While the righty has not been the same pitcher who finished top 5 in his league’s Cy Young award voting in seven consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2019 in recent years, he still sports a solid 3.81 ERA over his last 36 starts and looked like a front of the rotation arm as recently as 2022. That was enough to sell the Blue Jays on the idea the veteran could upgrade their rotation as long as he managed to stay healthy, but so far his nagging thumb issue has made that a challenge. After largely avoiding the injured list throughout the vast majority of his career, Scherzer has made just 59 starts over the past three seasons with the Mets and Rangers and now appears on track to miss more time for the Jays.

Yariel Rodriguez Entering Camp As Starting Pitcher

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The Blue Jays are keeping Yariel Rodríguez stretched out as a starter going into Spring Training, general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). “(He’ll) come in stretched out and compete for that fifth spot. He’ll remain depth for us, and we’ll make a decision about halfway or three-quarters of the way through Spring Training to try to put our pieces in the best positions to be successful,” Atkins said.

Toronto had looked to add a free agent starting pitcher throughout the offseason. After missing on long-term swings for Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, the Jays went short term to add Max Scherzer on a one-year, $15.5MM deal. The future Hall of Famer joins Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt as Toronto’s top four. The fifth spot is theoretically up for grabs between Rodríguez and Bowden Francis. Whomever doesn’t get the rotation spot could strengthen a bullpen that was a major weakness last season.

Francis should have the leg up in the camp battle. The 28-year-old righty was quietly dominant down the stretch. Toronto plugged Francis into the rotation around the time they dealt Yusei Kikuchi at last summer’s trade deadline. Francis fired 65 innings with a 1.80 earned run average across 11 appearances (10 starts) through season’s end. He held opponents to a .140/.188/.294 slash over 235 plate appearances. While some of that is due to an unsustainably low BABIP (.142), Francis also struck out a quarter of batters faced while keeping his walks to a minuscule 3.4% clip.

That was his first extended run as a major league starting pitcher. Francis posted a 1.73 ERA across 36 relief innings in 2023. He worked out of John Schneider’s bullpen for the first half of last season. Opponents blitzed him for a near-6.00 ERA behind a robust .276/.341/.481 line through the All-Star Break. Francis missed six weeks with forearm tendinitis and was briefly optioned to Triple-A before his fantastic second half.

Rodríguez, a Cuba native who previously pitched in NPB, signed a five-year contract with a $32MM guarantee last offseason. The 27-year-old started all 21 appearances during his first big league season. He posted a 4.47 ERA over 86 2/3 frames. Rodríguez punched out 23.1% of batters faced but walked nearly 11% of opponents. He missed six weeks with back inflammation and was optioned on and off the active roster a few times. Rodríguez made eight appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, where he turned in a 1.33 ERA with a strikeout rate pushing 38%.

The Jays reportedly cannot option Rodríguez to the minors without his approval anymore. Assuming the top four starters are healthy and Francis wins the fifth starter role, they’d presumably try to get Rodríguez multi-inning relief stints. That’d keep him reasonably stretched out in case they need to move him into the rotation in response to an in-season injury. Jake Bloss, acquired from the Astros in the Kikuchi trade, is next on the depth chart. Toronto has added Eric Lauer and Adam Kloffenstein on minor league deals. Alek Manoah is rehabbing Tommy John surgery and hopes to be back on the mound in August.

Adding Scherzer pushed the Jays’ luxury tax payroll to roughly $273MM (as calculated by RosterResource). That’s a franchise record that puts them within $8MM of the third tax tier — at which point their top pick in the 2026 draft would be dropped 10 slots. Atkins left open the possibility for a late-offseason acquisition, though he implied that they’re winding down on free agent activity.

“It’d be hard to add to the rotation at this point unless it’s just depth,” Atkins told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling). “On the position player group, if there’s a way to increase our depth, we’ll look to do that. I think at this point it would require a trade for us to add to the team. It doesn’t have to, but it most likely would be the case.”

The Jays have been on the periphery of the Alex Bregman market, though it seems the Astros, Tigers and Red Sox have been more heavily involved. Toronto was tied to Nick Pivetta before they signed Scherzer. There aren’t many other key players who remain unsigned, but the Jays could potentially bring in a veteran infielder on a minor league deal to factor into their third base competition.

Latest On Blue Jays’ Offseason Pursuits

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The Blue Jays made a major splash during the Winter Meetings this past week, swinging a trade with the Guardians that sent slugger Spencer Horwitz (very briefly) to Cleveland in exchange for second baseman Andres Gimenez and right-hander Nick Sandlin. The club also reunited with right-hander Yimi Garcia on a two-year deal during the meetings to bolster their relief mix. Now that they’ve made those additions to the bullpen and infield Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet wrote about the club’s needs going forward into the rest of the offseason, noting that the club is interested in adding an impactful slugger to the middle of the lineup to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as well as a starting pitcher who could push Yariel Rodriguez into the bullpen for the club.

It’s hardly a surprise that the club is looking to upgrade the roster in these areas given the players they’ve been connected to this winter. In the aftermath of the club’s failed pursuit of Juan Soto, Toronto has been name-checked as a potential suitor for corner outfield sluggers like Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander. Nicholson-Smith opines that the outfield appears to be the “most logical” place for the club to add impact now that the addition of Gimenez has helped to solidify the club’s infield mix, particularly given the fact that center fielder Daulton Varsho is expected to start the 2025 season on the injured list after undergoing surgery on his rotator cuff back in September.

With that said, Nicholson-Smith also suggests that the club could add a more defensively-limited player to their lineup as well after parting ways with a similarly limited player in Horwitz opened up additional DH reps. To that end, Nicholson-Smith reiterates the club’s interest in Hernandez while also floating two other names worth mentioning: free agent DH Joc Pederson and Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor. Nicholson-Smith lists Pederson alongside Hernandez and Corbin Burnes among free agents the Jays have spoken to this winter, and he reports that the club is “believed to have shown some interest” in Naylor during their negotiations with Cleveland surrounding the Gimenez trade.

It’s the first time that Toronto has been directly connected to Pederson this winter, though it was just one year ago that the club was reported to have “strong interest” in the slugger before he ultimately signed with the Diamondbacks later in the winter. The soon to be 33-year-old put up a strong season in Arizona in 2024, slashing .275/.393/.515 with a 151 wRC+ in 449 trips to the plate. While Pederson’s massive platoon splits make him a somewhat lackluster option against opposing southpaws, the club’s deep group of young right-handed hitters like Leo Jimenez and Davis Schneider could be a natural fit to step into the lineup for him against tough lefties.

Naylor, meanwhile, is more of a true everyday player who sports a less significant platoon split and more defensive value but a less potent bat overall. The 27-year-old has some experience in the outfield corners but has primarily been a first baseman for the Guardians in recent year. 2024 saw Naylor slash a solid .243/.320/.456 (118 wRC+) that was mostly in line with previous years, as he’s a 121 wRC+ hitter overall since becoming a full-time player in 2022. It’s unclear if the Jays have interest in Naylor even after completing the Gimenez deal, but he certainly makes sense as a trade candidate for the Guardians given the $12MM salary MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected for the slugger in his final trip through arbitration before he reaches free agency next winter. Cleveland has well-regarded youngster Kyle Manzardo available to step in as the regular first baseman should Naylor be dealt at some point this winter.

As for pitching, Nicholson-Smith suggests that while landing Burnes in free agency “doesn’t seem especially likely,” the club pursuing an impact starter can’t be ruled out with left-hander Sean Manaea’s name floated as one possible option. It’s unclear if the club is interested in Manaea specifically, but a pitcher of that caliber could solidify the club’s rotation alongside Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt while pushing Rodriguez to the bullpen after he posted a lackluster 90 ERA+ in 21 starts last year. Attractive as that may seem to Blue Jays fans, Nicholson-Smith cautions that it’s unclear whether the Jays would have the stomach to make an impact addition both to the rotation and the lineup this winter.

RosterResource puts the club’s luxury tax number at just over $228MM, meaning they have around $12MM remaining in the budget before they surpass the first luxury tax threshold. Even on impact addition seems certain to carry them past that mark, but a second one would run the risk of pushing them into the uncharted territory of surpassing the second threshold, which sits at $261MM in 2025. Given that, Nicholson-Smith suggests the club may have to choose between targeting an impact slugger and an impact starter before making a lower-level addition to address the other need. Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez are among the veteran sluggers who may be available for relatively cheap in free agency, while back-end starting options who wouldn’t break the bank include players like Michael Lorenzen and Colin Rea.

Ross Atkins Will Return As Blue Jays’ General Manager In 2025

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11:00am: Atkins revealed during his own media availability that bench coach and offensive coordinator Don Mattingly will no longer oversee the team’s offense; he’ll fill a “more traditional” bench coach role. Between the change in Mattingly’s role and the reported firing of hitting coach Guillermo Martinez — which Atkins confirmed — the team will conduct an external search to bring in new voice to oversee the team’s offense.

10:15am: Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro is currently meeting with the media on the heels of a season he described as a “bitter disappointment” and announced that Ross Atkins will return as the team’s general manager for the 2025 season. “There won’t be a change with Ross,” said Shapiro. (Readers can watch the live press conference via Sportsnet.) The 2024 season was Atkins’ ninth season as Toronto’s general manager after spending 14 seasons as an integral part of Cleveland’s player development department. He signed a five-year contract extension covering the 2022-26 seasons back in April of 2021.

This past season was indeed a disaster for the Jays, who finished out the season at 74-88 — last place in the American League East. The Blue Jays made a spirited run at Shohei Ohtani in free agency last offseason but added primarily complementary pieces after he signed a ten-year deal with the Dodgers. The Toronto front office inked Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Yariel Rodriguez to multi-year contracts, also adding veterans Justin Turner and Kevin Kiermaier on one-year deals (Kiermaier’s second one-year pact with the Jays).

Depth proved to be an Achilles heel for the Jays as injuries mounted. Bo Bichette endured multiple IL stints and was limited to half a season’s worth of uncharacteristically feeble production at the plate. Alek Manoah underwent UCL surgery. Closer Jordan Romano pitched just 13 2/3 rough innings before undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery. Top prospects Orelvis Martinez (PED suspension) and Ricky Tiedemann (Tommy John surgery) had lost seasons. Meanwhile, key veterans like Kiermaier, George Springer, Danny Jansen, Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and others turned in performances that were not commensurate with their prior standards. The Jays turned to a host of in-house stopgaps but, particularly in the bullpen, were unable to piece together a serviceable performance.

The end result saw Jansen, Kiner-Falefa, Yusei Kikuchi, Yimi Garcia and Nate Pearson all traded away in deadline swaps for younger talent. The Jays were universally praised for a strong return on Kikuchi, an impending free agent. However, that’s at best a silver lining when considering the team entered the 2024 campaign looking to build on last year’s Wild Card berth into the playoffs and was viewed as a legitimate contender in a deep AL East division.

Heading into the 2025 season, it’ll be incumbent upon Shapiro and Atkins to engineer an immediate turnaround, lest the calls for changes in leadership grow even louder. Asked about the club’s payroll outlook for the ’25 campaign, Shapiro demurred, calling it “early” to ask such a question and suggesting that next month’s GM Meetings or even December’s Winter Meetings would be a time at which he could offer a clearer answer. For now, the club’s president merely suggested he didn’t anticipate player payroll rising or decreasing in a significant manner.

If that’s indeed the case, Atkins will have his work cut out for him. The Jays entered the 2024 season with a club-record $225MM Opening Day payroll. RosterResource currently pegs them for just shy of $125MM in 2025 commitments, not including an arbitration class projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to cost more than $61MM in total. Add in a slate of league-minimum players to round out the roster, and the Jays are at just over $194MM. There are some likely non-tenders in this offseason’s class of arbitration-eligible players, but the group is headlined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his projected $29.6MM salary, with notable paydays projected for Romano ($7.75MM), Daulton Varsho ($7.7MM) and Alejandro Kirk ($4.1MM) as well.

Asked multiple times about Guerrero’s future, Shapiro generally sidestepped the question. The slugger is entering his final season of club control before potentially becoming one of the most coveted free agents in recent memory. Manager John Schneider recently touted Guerrero as a generational talent. Asked today whether he agreed with that assessment, Shapiro questioned the definition of what constitutes a generational player and suggested that it’s tough to say right now, noting that Guerrero has the “potential” to become such a player but implying that such a label can’t be placed on him this early in his career.

Atkins spoke more directly on the matter of Guerrero’s future, suggesting that ownership will provide the support to make long-term commitments to both Guerrero and Bichette. That doesn’t guarantee an extension for either player will happen, of course, and Atkins noted that it’s “difficult” to construct a contract of such magnitude for even one player — let alone two players. Still, he voiced confidence that the Jays can support long-term deals for both and still have the resources needed to build a competitive roster around what would presumably be a pair of substantial contracts.

With regard to the forthcoming offseason, Atkins spoke generally about the need to be “more aggressive” with external additions to the roster than the Blue Jays were this past offseason, specifically in the bullpen. He also called adding a power bat “low-hanging fruit” but also noted that it’s not as simple as adding a pure slugger, citing a need to look at contact ability, on-base skills, and strengths against specific pitch types.

Asked whether the aforementioned Rodriguez and Bowden Francis have pitched well enough to solidify their spots in the rotation next season, Atkins praised both pitchers for the job they did in the season’s second half. The Jays will be in the market for both depth and “impact” starting pitching, per Atkins, but with Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Rodriguez and Francis all in the fold, the GM said he feels fortunate to not feel a dire need to be in the market for a top free-agent starter.

The manner in which the Jays will pursue upgrades was left fairly open-ended. Both Atkins and Shapiro spoke favorably of the 13 young players Toronto acquired at this season’s trade deadline. Atkins acknowledged that while many of those players are viewed as potential near-term contributors, that influx of talent into the system also opens the door for potential trades involving some of those same prospects. The Blue Jays will explore both the free agent and trade markets as they look to revamp the roster, but it’s clear from both men’s comments today that the club does not plan to take any kind of step back and will endeavor to put a playoff contender on the field next year. That much has been reported at various points since the deadline, but today’s on-record commitment to such an approach from the team’s top two decision-makers is nevertheless notable.

Blue Jays Place Yimi García On Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Yimi García has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis. Left-hander Brandon Eisert was selected to the roster in a corresponding move. The Jays had two open 40-man spots as Cavan Biggio and Daniel Vogelbach were designated for assignment in recent weeks.

It’s unclear how long García will be away from the club but it’s a blow nonetheless, with the club’s bullpen having been hit hard this year. Closer Jordan Romano has twice been placed on the injured list due to elbow inflammation and is still on the shelf at the moment. He also struggled in between those IL stints with an earned run average of 6.59 in his 15 outings. Erik Swanson was supposed to be a key setup guy for Romano but had an ERA of 9.22 in his 17 appearances before getting optioned to the minors. His nine Triple-A outings haven’t been much better, with an 8.22 ERA in those.

García stepped up and has been the club’s best reliever this year. He has five saves and ten holds with a 2.57 ERA, 34.6% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate, but he had to depart yesterday’s game with an apparent injury. The club told reporters earlier today that García’s MRI showed no structural damage, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com on X. Though the prognosis is unclear, it seems the issue is serious enough that the Jays decided to let García rest up for at least 15 days.

The Jays came into the season planning on that Romano/Swanson/García trio anchoring their bullpen but will now have to proceed without all three of them. Romano could be the next to return, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relays on X that the righty could be back on a mound as soon as Wednesday, but it’s still a less-than-ideal set of circumstances for the Jays. The club’s relievers had a 3.68 ERA last year, placing them eighth in the league, but this year’s bullpen group is in 27th place with a 4.69 ERA.

Chad Green is likely to step into the closer’s role for now, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet on X. Green has a 1.76 ERA on the year but that’s a bit of a mirage. His 21.8% strikeout rate is actually below league average and much lower than his career rate of 32.1%. His strong results this year have been helped by a .167 batting average on balls in play and 100% strand rate that he won’t be able to maintain, so getting his punchouts back will be key for him and the Jays.

Though the news is glum for García, it’s an exciting day for Eisert, as the 26-year-old southpaw cracks a big league roster for the first time. An 18th-round selection of the Jays in 2019, he wasn’t able to make his professional debut until 2021 due to the pandemic.

But since then, he has tossed 215 2/3 innings across various levels with a 4.01 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. That includes 22 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo this year with an unsightly 6.35 ERA, though a .442 BABIP is surely playing a role in that. The Jays are probably more interested in his 33% strikeout rate this year, though Eisert has also walked 13.2% of batters faced. He’ll give the club a fourth lefty arm alongside Tim Mayza, Génesis Cabrera and Brendon Little.

It may end up being a short stay for Eisert since Yariel Rodríguez is going to be reinstated from the IL at some point this week, likely taking the rotation spot opened by Alek Manoah’s UCL surgery. Over the past few weeks, Bowden Francis has been covering that spot as a bulk guy, with Trevor Richards often serving as an opener. But if Rodríguez can take over that rotation spot, Richards and Francis can move to the relief mix to try to offset the loss of García somewhat.

Blue Jays Notes: García, Rodríguez, Lukes

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Blue Jays right-hander Yimi García departed yesterday’s game after calling for the trainer in the middle of an at-bat. After the game, manager John Schneider told reporters that García has some soreness in his right elbow, with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet among those to relay the news on X.

In the coming days, García and the club will surely be evaluating the situation to see how it develops. Elbow issues are always concerning for a pitcher but losing García for any amount of time would not be ideal for Toronto. The bullpen has been a surprising weak point for the club this year, with the relief corps having a collective 4.69 earned run average this year, which is ahead of just the White Sox, Angels and Rockies.

Jordan Romano is currently on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, his second such IL stint already this year, and posted a 6.59 ERA in his 15 outings between those IL stints. Erik Swanson struggled badly enough to get optioned to the minors and hasn’t course corrected down in Buffalo. He had a 9.22 ERA with the Jays before getting sent down and has an 8.22 mark in his nine Triple-A appearances this year.

With those two being injured and struggling, and Chad Green also spending some time on the IL, García has stepped up as the club’s best reliever this year. He has five saves and ten holds with a 2.57 ERA, 34.6% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate.

If García were to need a stint on the IL, that would further deplete the club’s struggling bullpen. Green has a 1.76 ERA this year and might have to step into the closer’s role, though he’s currently skirting by with a .176 batting average on balls in play and 100% strand rate, neither of which are sustainable. His 21.8% strikeout rate is below league average and well below his career rate of 32.1%.

Aside from García and Green, the only other reliever on the active roster with an ERA under 4.00 is Trevor Richards at 3.09. However, his 24.8% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate are more passable than outstanding and he’s also benefited from a low BABIP of .143.

The group is already in a tenuous spot and that will be even more true if García needs to miss some time. If it turns out he has a significant elbow issue, that would also be poor timing for him on a personal level. The 33-year-old is having arguably the best full season of his career and is in the final year of his contract, heading to free agency this winter. If he can overcome this soreness and keep putting up good numbers, he’ll be set up nicely for a strong market but any kind of lingering health problem could negatively impact that.

On the rotation, the Jays seem to be on the verge of getting Yariel Rodríguez back. He is currently on the injured list and has been rehabbing, but Francys Romero reports on X that the righty is travelling to join the Jays today. Rodríguez probably won’t be reinstated immediately, as he just threw 79 pitches in a rehab outing yesterday and won’t be available for a few days, but he could rejoin the roster later in the week.

Alek Manoah went on the IL a couple of weeks ago and it was later reported that he would require season-ending UCL surgery. The Jays have four rotation spots taken by José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi but have been sort of patching the last spot together without Manoah in the past few weeks. Bowden Francis has taken three turns as a bulk pitcher, with one official start and two outings behind an opener. The first outing wasn’t great, as he allowed four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Orioles, but he then tossed four scoreless in each of the next two, against the Athletics and Guardians.

Francis may now be bumped to a long relief role in the bullpen with Rodríguez taking over the fifth spot. Rodríguez posted a 4.11 ERA in four starts earlier this year before landing on the IL with thoracic spine inflammation. He has since made six rehab appearances with a 1.93 ERA and 36.5% strikeout rate, though a 15.9% walk rate suggests there might be a bit of rust.

On the position player side, the Jays lost a bit of depth last week. Outfielder Nathan Lukes underwent surgery on the UCL in his left thumb, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet on X. His timeline is unclear, with Davidi simply relaying that the outfielder is expected back later in the year.

Lukes was hitting a tremendous .333/.406/.480 in Triple-A this year, production which translates to a 134 wRC+. The Jays have been dipping into their farm lately to try to find more offense, calling up Spencer Horwitz and Addison Barger while jettisoning Cavan Biggio and Daniel Vogelbach. With Lukes hitting well, perhaps he would have garnered some consideration for a promotion as well, but that won’t be on the table while he’s recovering from surgery.

The Jays will have a bit less outfield depth for the time being but have plenty of options on the active roster. George Springer and Daulton Varsho are playing every day with Davis Schneider and Kevin Kiermaier getting sprinkled in as well. Infielders Addison Barger, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Spencer Horwitz and Ernie Clement all have varying degrees of outfield experience as well and could move out there if needed.

Blue Jays Place Yariel Rodríguez On Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Yariel Rodríguez has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to thoracic spine inflammation. Right-hander Zach Pop has been recalled as the corresponding move.

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported earlier today that Rodríguez was dealing with some back soreness, which cropped up during his start for the Jays last night. He was delayed by back spasms during the spring and Francys Romero reports that the issue is similar, adding that the righty is heading to the club’s Dunedin facilities for now.

He got over those back spasms quickly but was optioned to the minors to start the year, not having had a chance to get fully stretched out yet. He made two starts at Triple-A, throwing 6 1/3 innings, before getting called up to the majors. He has been solid in four starts at the big league level so far, with a 4.11 earned run average in 15 1/3 innings.

It’s unclear how long the Jays expect him to be out of action but it will open up yet another hole in their rotation depth. They still have a strong front four in Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi but the options behind that group have been thinned. Mitch White and Wes Parsons were each squeezed off the roster and flipped to other teams. Alek Manoah and Bowden Francis are on the injured list, with Rodríguez now joining them. Prospect Ricky Tiedemann isn’t on the 40-man but he’s also hurt. A recent MRI showed no structural damage but he’s still about a week away from throwing again.

The Jays will need to figure out a fifth starter, though maybe not right away, thanks to where they are in the schedule. They have an off-day on Thursday this week, followed by two more on Monday and Thursday next week. They play six in a row from May 10 to 15 but then have another off-day on May 16. That gives them a bit of time to assess their options.

Manoah, who landed on the IL due to right shoulder inflammation, is currently on a rehab assignment but has been in poor form, with 18 earned runs allowed in 13 2/3 innings. He is starting for Triple-A Buffalo tonight and perhaps his performance will help the club make a decision about next steps. If either Francis or Rodríguez are able to return in the next two weeks or so, that could be another option, though it’s unclear if the health of either will allow for that. Paolo Espino is on the 40-man roster though he’s a 37-year-old journeyman and the Jays probably don’t want to rely on him for much more than a spot start.

For now, Pop will give the Jays another bullpen arm while they figure out their rotation plans. He has a 3.94 ERA in his big league career but struggled last year with a 6.59 ERA over 15 appearances. He’s been getting good results in Triple-A so far this year with a 1.86 ERA through 9 2/3 innings.

Blue Jays Notes: Hernandez, Tiedemann, Manoah, Rodriguez

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After Friday’s 12-2 blowout loss to the Dodgers, the Blue Jays now have a 13-14 record over their first 27 games, and (via tiebreaker) sit in last place in the AL East.  While there has been plenty of inconsistency within the pitching staff, Toronto’s most glaring problem has been a lack of offense — the Jays rank 24th of 30 teams in runs (98), and their .197 average with runners in scoring position is the third-worst in the league.

This slow offensive start has only generated more questions (and second-guessing) about the Blue Jays’ offseason approach to upgrading the lineup, notwithstanding the team’s high-profile attempt at signing Shohei Ohtani.  This isn’t to say what the Jays check in with a number of other bats, including a notable former Blue Jay slugger in Teoscar Hernandez.

As Hernandez told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, the Jays made contact “at the beginning” of the offseason and “said to not forget about them.”  However, later talks didn’t yield much or any progress towards a deal, as “obviously when we exchanged numbers and years and all that stuff, they said they could not go that far.  That was about it.”

Hernandez blossomed into an All-Star over his six seasons in Toronto, hitting .263/.320/.503 with 129 homers in 2419 plate appearances for the Blue Jays from 2017-22.  Despite this production, the Jays dealt Hernandez to the Mariners in November 2022 in exchange for Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko.  Hernandez was entering his final year of salary arbitration prior to free agency, plus the Jays felt a need to improve their outfield defense and contact hitting, as Hernandez struck out a lot and didn’t offer much in the way of glovework.

Considering that Swanson pitched well last season and Hernandez hit an underwhelming .258/.305/.435 in Seattle, Toronto’s logic in making the deal seemed sound.  The outfielder’s so-so numbers resulted in what was essentially a “prove it” type of contract in free agency, as Hernandez signed with Los Angeles on a $23.5MM deal (including $8.5MM in deferrals) covering just the 2024 season.  To date, Hernandez has bounced back quite nicely, to the tune of six home runs and a .267/.336/.486 slash line over his first 117 PA in Dodger Blue.

It is understandable why the Blue Jays might have been wary about committing $23.5MM to a hitter coming off such an average season, and all things being equal financially, it is also possible Hernandez might’ve preferred joining a star-studded L.A. lineup rather than return to a team that just traded him only a year earlier.  That said, Hernandez’s April numbers would’ve obviously been a huge help to the Jays’ lineup, and perhaps a more prudent investment than the $18MM in combined salary the team is paying Kevin Kiermaier and Isiah Kiner-Falefa this season.  Kiner-Falefa’s bat has been decent enough but he is one of several comparable infielders on Toronto’s roster, while Kiermaier has contributed next to nothing at the plate and is currently on the injured list dealing with inflammation in his hip flexor.

Ricky Tiedemann is another player on the mend, as the southpaw is on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Buffalo.  Jays manager John Schneider provided some positive news on Tiedemann’s status Friday, telling MLB.com’s Julia Kreuz and other reporters that Tiedemann is dealing with ulnar nerve inflammation, and not any structural damage to his left elbow.  It isn’t quite clear yet when Tiedemann might be back on the mound for Buffalo, but he should start throwing again within 7-10 days.

Ranked as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Tiedemann hasn’t pitched all that much over three pro seasons, with just 130 2/3 total minor league innings under his belt.  That total includes only 44 frames (32 at Double-A) in 2023, as Tiedemann battles biceps and shoulder problems for much of the year.  Heading into this season, Tiedemann also had hamstring and calf issues during Spring Training, then tossed eight innings over three Triple-A starts before his IL placement.

Getting Tiedemann healthy is the Blue Jays’ top priority, and he’ll need to bank some quality innings at Triple-A before garnering consideration for his first big league call-up.  Some amount of extra pressure is perhaps unavoidable for Tiedemann given both the top-100 hype, and his outsized importance on a Jays team lacking in rotation depth.  In the event of an injury within the starting rotation, Paolo Espino might be the next man up by default, as Bowden Francis is on the 15-day IL and Alek Manoah’s status remains in question given his shaky rehab performances.

Yariel Rodriguez has pitched well over his first three career Major League starts, so for now, Rodriguez has solidified his claim to the fifth starter’s job.  As the Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath noted earlier this week, however, Rodriguez is on an unspecified innings limit since he didn’t pitch at all in 2023, and it remains to be seen how the Blue Jays might dole out those innings in the right-hander’s rookie season.  Rodriguez could be moved back to the bullpen at some point in order to limit his usage, but that would require someone else to step up for rotation work.

Manoah’s 11.85 ERA over 13 2/3 innings in his four rehab outings is hard to ignore, as even though rehab starts are more about health and figuring things out rather than results, Manoah is still being plagued by control problems and the home run ball.  The Jays placed Manoah on the 15-day injured list to begin the season as the right-hander was bothered by shoulder soreness during Spring Training, and as McGrath observes, the 30-day rehab window ends for Manoah on May 6.  He could be optioned to Triple-A at that point, or potentially become an option for the 26-man roster if he looks better in what should be two more rehab outings.  Manoah is also slated to throw a bullpen session in Toronto this weekend in front of the team’s big league coaching staff.

Blue Jays Recall Yariel Rodriguez

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TODAY: The Blue Jays have officially announced Rodríguez’s promotion, and right-hander Paolo Espino was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

APRIL 12: Rodríguez will get the start, manager John Schneider told reporters (including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). Francis will be kicked to the bullpen.

APRIL 11: The Blue Jays are set to promote offseason signee Yariel Rodríguez, reports Francys Romero (X link). The Cuban-born righty will officially be recalled on Saturday, according to the report.

Rodríguez already occupies a spot on the Toronto 40-man roster. The Jays signed him to a five-year, $32MM free agent pact late in the winter. The 27-year-old might have been in consideration for the final rotation spot after Alek Manoah suffered a shoulder injury early in camp. Yet Rodríguez was slightly delayed in his own right by back spasms. He only made two Spring Training appearances as a result, tossing five innings of one-run ball.

The Jays tabbed Bowden Francis to step into Manoah’s vacated rotation spot. They optioned Rodríguez to Triple-A Buffalo to continue building his arm strength. He has pitched twice for the Bisons, working 6 1/3 scoreless frames while fanning 10 and issuing three walks. He has thrown 55 and 47 pitches in his respective appearances.

It’s fair to assume the Jays aren’t going to rely on Rodríguez to go 100+ pitches in his major league debut. He should be able to contribute in some form of multi-inning capacity out of the gate, though. That could take the form of long relief or a slightly abbreviated start. Rodríguez last pitched on Monday, so he’ll be on five days rest by the weekend.

The corresponding move isn’t clear, but the Jays currently list Francis as their probable starter for Saturday’s matchup with the Rockies. Francis’ first two major league starts have not gone well. The righty has been blitzed for 12 runs on as many hits in only 8 1/3 innings. He still has a minor league option remaining, so the Jays could send him to Buffalo if they wanted to swap Rodríguez into his place in the rotation. Alternatively, they could deploy Francis and Rodríguez in some form of tandem start, perhaps letting them each face the lineup twice without stretching their pitch counts too far.

However the Jays deploy Rodríguez, they’ll surely keep an eye on his innings tally as the season rolls along. His only competitive action in 2023 came during the World Baseball Classic. After that tournament, Rodríguez sat out the season as he waited for MLB to officially declare him a free agent. He pitched exclusively as a reliever with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball two years ago, tossing 54 2/3 frames of 1.15 ERA ball. Rodríguez threw 94 2/3 innings between the Dragons and their minor league team in 2021. The heaviest workload of his career came in 2018, when he worked 133 1/3 innings as a 21-year-old in Cuba.

Blue Jays Option Yariel Rodriguez

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The Blue Jays have optioned right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to Triple-A Buffalo to open the season, as noted by Francys Romero. Romero adds that Rodriguez is expected to make two or three starts at the level to continue building up before the club will look to add him to the major league roster.

Rodriguez, 27, officially signed a five-year deal with Toronto back in February after reaching an agreement the month prior. The righty entered the offseason as one of the winter’s most unusual free agents. He began his career as a starting pitcher in Cuba but upon moving overseas to pitch in Japan, he converted to relief where he dominated to the tune of a 1.15 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate in 56 appearances during a breakout 2022 season, his third year with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s NPB. Prior to the start of the 2023 campaign, Rodriguez represented Cuba in the World Baseball Classic and made a return to starting. He pitched to solid results during the tournament but did not report to the Dragons after it came to a close, instead heading to the Dominican Republic to pursue a future in MLB.

The Dragons eventually granted Rodriguez his release last fall and he was declared a free agent by MLB shortly thereafter. Given his unusual path to the majors, evaluations of Rodriguez varied considerably even by the standards of an international free agent looking for his first stateside contract. The Blue Jays wound up being the team to take a chance on Rodriguez, surely enticed by his youth and dominant 2022 season. Entering camp, Rodriguez figure to have a chance to battle with right-hander Alek Manoah for the fifth spot in the club’s rotation behind Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Yusei Kikuchi and Chris Bassitt.

That, unfortunately, did not come to pass for Rodriguez, as back spasms delayed the start to his Spring Training. Manoah and top prospect Rickey Tiedemann were also delayed this spring by injuries, and so the fifth spot in the rotation will instead go to right-hander Bowden Francis while Manoah begins the season on the injured list and both Rodriguez and Tiedemann head to Triple-A to continue ramping up for the season. Rodriguez made just two appearances with the Jays this spring, striking out three while allowing two hits, a home run, and three walks in five innings of work. Once Rodriguez has finished shaking off the rust associated with his lengthy layoff last year, the Blue Jays figure to make a decision regarding whether he’ll make his big league debut as a member of the club’s starting rotation or as part of the relief corps.

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