The Blue Jays needed help in a hurry, and they turned to Triple-A Buffalo for two more arms before Saturday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
Toronto recalled Lazaro Estrada and Brendon Little after Friday’s 12-4 loss, a game that forced the club to lean on four relievers after Chicago knocked starter Spencer Miles out after four innings. The Blue Jays also didn’t get much from Patrick Corbin, who worked fewer than two innings, so manager John Schneider is getting some much-needed bullpen cover.
To make room, Toronto optioned CJ Van Eyk and Adam Macko back to the Bisons. The moves were first reported by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
Estrada is back with the big-league club for the first time since June 20. He has appeared in just two games for Toronto this season and owns a 2.84 ERA. A right shoulder impingement sent him to the injured list in April, and after his June 20 activation he was sent back to Buffalo three days later.
Little’s season has been far rougher. The left-hander is 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA in six appearances, and he’s given up 14 earned runs in 4.2 innings. He broke camp on the opening-day roster, was sent down soon after to work on his mechanics, then came back up on June 19 before being optioned again a day later.
Van Eyk made his MLB debut Friday and handled two innings of relief, allowing one hit. The 2020 second-round pick wasn’t going to be available again Saturday because of the workload, but the outing was a solid first look and could earn him another shot soon.
Macko also pitched Friday, throwing one inning and allowing two runs. In his rookie season, he’s 2-0 with a 5.03 ERA across 19 games, including one start, and has posted a 10.57 ERA over his last seven MLB outings. He was Seattle’s seventh-round pick in 2019.
Toronto’s pitching depth remains stretched beyond this weekend’s shuffle. Max Scherzer has been on the injured list since June 17 with back spasms, and his rehab was paused Friday. Yimi Garcia still hasn’t pitched this season after elbow surgery last year, though he is throwing bullpen sessions, which is the next-to-last step before a rehab assignment.
Joe Mantiply has also been sidelined since May with a left knee injury and recently had it scoped.
And the Blue Jays aren’t counting on Jose Berrios, Cody Ponce or Bowden Francis to return this season. Berrios and Francis both had elbow surgery, while Ponce suffered a right knee ACL sprain in his first start. There is still a slight chance Ponce could make it back before the year is out.
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Still, there is at least one outside voice willing to bet on a turnaround. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has floated the idea that Guerrero could wind up leading MLB in second-half home runs, a prediction that would require a major uptick but is not pulled entirely from thin air, given that his career has tended to show a slightly better home run rate after the break. For the Blue Jays, the question is whether that familiar second-half jolt is coming, or whether this season's power dip is more telling than the history. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing also makes the decision hard to ignore. With the trade deadline approaching, the Blue Jays have reason to remind the rest of the league that Springer can still handle the outfield, even if the recent defensive numbers have not been kind to him. Whether this is about sparking a better rhythm at the plate or broadening his appeal in the market, the move adds another layer to a season that already has plenty of questions around him. [Read more 🡒]
Max Scherzers Quiet Break Put Blue Jays Fans On Return Watch
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There is also a bigger milestone quietly sitting in the background. Scherzer is 11th on MLBs all-time strikeout list and remains within reach of the top 10 this season, a reminder that even while he has been out, his place in the games history is still moving. For a Blue Jays club that has been waiting on his next turn, the return watch now comes with a little extra intrigue. [Read more 🡒]