The Guardians got a small break Monday when the Blue Jays dropped their season opener, and that helped Cleveland keep a one-game edge in the American League Wild Card race. But that cushion may not last long.
Toronto is lining up Trey Yesavage to return as soon as next Monday, and that could give the Blue Jays a badly needed jolt right when the Guardians are trying to hang onto their spot.
Trey Yesavage will pitch Wednesday in Buffalo and should line him up for Sunday or Monday in Baltimore.
“Most likely Monday.”
- John Schneider
- Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) September 13, 2026
Yesavage’s comeback would arrive with just enough time for him to potentially swing the race in Toronto’s favor.
He was one of the breakout stories of last season, throwing 27 2/3 innings during the Blue Jays’ World Series run after making only three regular-season starts. In the Fall Classic, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to make multiple World Series starts within his first eight career outings, and he set a rookie record with 12 strikeouts in Toronto’s Game 5 win.
This season, Yesavage has been effective when available, posting a 3.65 ERA across 18 starts. Health has been the issue. He opened the year on the injured list with right shoulder impingement, came back at the end of April, and then landed back on the IL in early August with a knee injury.
Toronto has not yet settled on how it would use him down the stretch. The club could bring him back as a starter, or it could decide relief work is the better fit for the final month.
Either way, he would matter. Yesavage would give the Blue Jays a lift in a rotation that currently includes Dylan Cease, José Soriano, Max Scherzer and Spencer Arrighetti, and he’d also help a bullpen that has been stretched thin for a while. That strain has been made worse by Shane Bieber’s absence; he has been on the injured list since Aug. 20 with right teres major inflammation and is not expected back until the postseason, if Toronto gets there.
The Blue Jays still have two games left against the Tigers before closing with series against the Rangers, Orioles and Reds. If Yesavage comes back as a starter, he’d likely get one outing against the Orioles and another somewhere in the Reds series.
For Cleveland, that timing matters. If the Guardians slip at all over the next week, either of those starts could end up being a pivotal moment in whether Northeast Ohio gets postseason baseball this fall.
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Kwans season has still carried plenty of value, with his overall impact showing up strongly in bWAR even as his offense has been a little below his usual standard. That tension is what makes the coming offseason so delicate for Cleveland: whether to explore a trade while his market is still strong or push for a long-term extension and keep one of its most recognizable everyday players in place. [Read more 🡒]