The Toronto Blue Jays made a late-week pitching move that could set up a long-awaited MLB debut for CJ Van Eyk.
Van Eyk, a 27-year-old right-hander, was added to Toronto’s 26-man roster ahead of the club’s July 12 game in San Diego. To make room, the Blue Jays optioned Chad Dallas to Triple-A Buffalo.
If Van Eyk gets into the game, it will be his first major league appearance. He’s expected to be available out of the bullpen, potentially in relief of starter Kevin Gausman, with German Márquez set to start for the Padres.
Van Eyk has spent this season with the Blue Jays’ top farm club and has put together a strong run in Buffalo. In 17 games, including 13 starts, he went 5-3 with a 3.79 ERA. He also led the Bisons in strikeouts with 56 across 78.1 innings while allowing fewer than one hit per inning when he got the call.
His latest outing came on July 8, when he worked behind rehabbing Max Scherzer and fired five scoreless innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
This is Van Eyk’s second year with the Bisons. In 2025, he went 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA in 20 games, 17 of them starts, in the International League.
Before that, his path was slowed by Tommy John surgery after just one professional season in 2021, wiping out all of 2022 and pushing back his climb to the majors. He also struggled in his first full season back, finishing 3-8 with a 5.68 ERA at Double-A New Hampshire in 2025.
Toronto drafted Van Eyk in the second round, 42nd overall, in 2020 out of Florida State and signed him for $1,797,500. The Tampa native had been on the Blue Jays’ taxi squad during their road series against the Chicago White Sox, but he was not added to the active roster at that time.
Dallas’ stint with the big-league club was brief. The 26-year-old was 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two relief appearances for Toronto this season, and his most recent call-up lasted only five days.
Because Van Eyk has never previously been on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, he now has three option years remaining.
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