The roster churn keeps coming, and this time the bullpen is getting another reset.
Adam Macko and CJ Van Eyk have been sent down to Buffalo, while Lázaro Estrada and Brendon Little are back. Little, in particular, has been away for a bit, and the walk issue still hasn’t gone anywhere.
In July, he’s worked 4.2 innings with 4 walks, including one intentional. In June, he issued 6 walks in 5.2 innings.
That shuffle lands against a backdrop of a team that is running out of healthy options and, by the sound of it, running out of patience with the current run of games. Yesterday’s loss was described as the latest in a string of terrible games this year, and Spencer Miles’ spot in the rotation is now being questioned after one of five starts. The problem is obvious: if he’s not the answer, it’s not clear who is.
The injury picture doesn’t offer much relief either. Anthony Santander is not expected back anytime soon after getting a cortisone shot because he “felt something” in his shoulder and is shut down for 7 days. The expectation is that he won’t play this year.
Addison Barger is still dealing with elbow inflammation and won’t return until August at the earliest. Max Scherzer is only back to the “playing catch” stage.
Yimi Garcia and Jesus Sanchez are closer to returning. Jake Bloss, meanwhile, has a shoulder injury, and the team doesn’t yet know how serious it is, only that he won’t be pitching for a while.
It all adds up to a weekend with very little margin for error and not much help on the horizon. Today’s lineup follows.
In Other News...
White Sox Just Pushed Toronto Closer To A Franchise-Altering Decision
John Schneider didnt need much time after a 3-0 shutout loss to the White Sox to make the mood around the Blue Jays clear. Toronto managed just five runs over the three-game set, and the offense never really found a rhythm after Fridays 12-4 loss, leaving the club with another frustrating reminder of how quickly a series can expose its flaws.
The bigger concern is what this kind of stretch means for a team that entered the day last in the AL East and still has to decide how aggressive to be with the roster. Toronto has been weighing a buyers approach at the trade deadline, but performances like this only sharpen the pressure to start winning soon, especially with the offense stuck near the bottom of the league in run production. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Mourn Championship Legend Duane Ward After His Death
Duane Ward, one of the defining arms from the Blue Jays championship era, has died at 62, the club announced while offering condolences to his family. A hard-throwing reliever who helped shape Torontos run to the 1992 and 1993 World Series titles, Ward remains a familiar name for fans who remember how much those teams leaned on late-inning power and poise.
His place in franchise history is secure, especially after setting the Blue Jays single-season saves record and becoming a central figure in the 1993 postseason. Wards impact went beyond the regular season, and for a generation of Blue Jays followers, his work in the World Series helped define what those title teams were all about, even as the club now reflects on a loss that reaches far beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Serious Trey Yesavage Concern
Trey Yesavages season has gone from promising to precarious in a hurry, and the numbers now point to more than just a rough patch. The Blue Jays pitcher still carried a respectable ERA for much of the year, but the underlying indicators have been less forgiving, with his command slipping as the season has worn on and July turning especially ugly.
His walk rate has climbed sharply, hitters are not chasing nearly as much, and Toronto is left sorting through what comes next for a young arm whose early results no longer match the current reality. Whether the issue is fatigue from his first full season or something in the delivery that needs to be cleaned up, the Jays have a decision to make before the problem gets harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]