The Blue Jays are running out of room to wait on their rotation, and that’s why Patrick Corbin is heading to the bullpen.
Toronto has dropped six straight games before Monday’s 2-1 win over the New York Mets, and the pitching problems have been a major reason why. The Blue Jays are five games under .500, and their starters were hit hard against the Texas Rangers, giving up 17 runs on 26 hits over four games.
So manager John Schneider is changing the plan. According to Keegan Matheson of mlb.com, Corbin is being moved out of the rotation, and Wednesday’s starter is now TBD.
Corbin’s rough stretch made the move hard to avoid. The 36-year-old signed a one-year deal to help soak up innings and cover for injuries, and he opened the year well enough by regularly working four to six innings.
But June has been a different story. He’s carrying an 8.69 ERA this month, and every one of his starts has ended with him allowing at least two runs.
Command has been an issue, and the ball has also left the yard against him.
For Toronto, the bullpen offers a way to simplify things for Corbin and manage his work more carefully. Schneider explained the thinking this way: "For one, it limits the time he's seeing hitters, so he's not having to try to navigate as deep into a game. The pitch count has been high and not putting hitters away has been a thing for him."
The most likely next step is Spencer Miles. The 25-year-old has handled a bulk of the innings, especially in May when he posted a 3.92 ERA, and he’s expected to provide Toronto with three to four innings in these bullpen games.
The Blue Jays are hoping the shorter outings can help Corbin settle in and give them something useful again. Instead of chasing 15 outs, he’ll be asked to get nine. That kind of reset could matter a lot for a veteran lefty trying to find his footing.
Meanwhile, Max Scherzer is still working back from injury and aiming to rejoin the rotation. That leaves Toronto trying to patch together the rest of the staff for now, especially with Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios dealing with significant injuries. Until the trade deadline arrives, the Blue Jays need the pitchers they have to hold up - because the options are thinning fast.
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