Top Blue Jays News
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Blue Jays' Nick Sandlin: Seems set for bullpen job
Sandlin walked one and struck out two in a scoreless inning during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
The former Guardian was dealt to the Blue Jays in January and appears locked into a bullpen spot, albeit likely only in middle relief to begin the season. Sandlin has posted an 8:3 K:BB through five spring innings with a 3.60 ERA, but he's behind Yimi Garcia and Chad Green in the pecking order for set-up work in front of closer Jeff Hoffman.
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Blue Jays' Will Wagner: Perfect day at plate Thursday
Wagner went 2-for-2 with a double, two walks and two runs scored in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
The 26-year-old doesn't have a clear defensive home on the diamond, but his bat could earn him semi-regular playing time on a Blue Jays squad that loves to mix and match. Wagner is batting .273 (9-for-33) this spring with five doubles and a 4:6 BB:K, and he handled himself capably in his big-league debut in 2024, delivering a .305/.337/.451 slash line over 86 plate appearances after being acquired from the Astros. Most of his action in the majors last year came at second base, but with Andres Gimenez now calling the keystone home for the Jays, Wagner will have to battle for playing time at third base and DH while also occasionally spelling Vladimir Guerrero at first base.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Three more hits Thursday
Bichette went 3-for-4 in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
While all three hits were singles, it was still another strong effort at the plate from the shortstop as he looks to put his shaky 2024 behind him. Bichette is batting a cool .400 (18-for-45) this spring with three doubles, four homers and a 4:6 BB:K, and the only blemish on his Grapefruit League performance has been a 1-for-3 showing on the basepaths.
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Blue Jays' Bowden Francis: Gets stretched out Thursday
Francis gave up one run on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out four.
Facing a mix of big-league regulars, bench players and minor leaguers, Francis cruised through five innings before serving up a solo shot to Jonathan Aranda. The right-hander built up to 83 pitches (56 strikes) as he gets ready for Opening Day, and try to prove his big finish to 2024 was no fluke -- Francis posted a 1.53 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 56:7 K:BB over 59 innings after rejoining the Blue Jays' rotation in early August last season. Keeping the ball in the park has been an issue for Francis this spring, however. While he does have a 16:8 K:BB through 15.2 Grapefruit League innings, he's also been tagged for five homers.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Making start Saturday
Scherzer (thumb) will start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Scherzer's right thumb bounced back well from Thursday's bullpen session, officially clearing the way for him to return to Grapefruit League action. He is targeting 60-to-65 pitches Saturday and, as long as he doesn't have a setback with the thumb that day or Sunday, will be ready to roll for the start of the regular season.
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Blue Jays' Josh Walker: Will begin season Triple-A
The Blue Jays optioned Walker to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Walker signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays in December. He entered spring training with a chance to secure a bullpen spot in Toronto, but he will begin his season in Buffalo. The southpaw had posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 8.0 innings in Grapefruit League play before being optioned.
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Blue Jays' Dillon Tate: Optioned to Triple-A
The Blue Jays optioned Tate to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Tate didn't sign with the Jays until March 10 and hasn't appeared in a spring game since then, so he'll head to Triple-A to build up for the season. The 30-year-old reliever finished 2024 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 36.2 innings, but he may be called up a few times over the course of the season to provide Toronto with a fresh bullpen arm.
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Blue Jays' Orelvis Martinez: Sent to Triple-A
The Blue Jays optioned Martinez to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Martinez missed a few days of spring training after he was hit by a fastball on the hip Monday. He was able to return to action Thursday and log an at-bat. The infielder has been slashing .320/.393/.480 with a home run across 28 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play. In Triple-A Buffalo, the 23-year-old will play every day and wait for his next chance to prove himself in the big leagues.
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Blue Jays' Jonatan Clase: Dispatched to Buffalo
The Blue Jays optioned Clase to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Clase reached the big leagues for the first time last season and slashed .246/.303/.328 across 66 plate appearances between the Mariners and Blue Jays. His bat vanished in the Grapefruit League, however, as he only managed one hit in 14 at-bats. He'll attempt to right the ship in Triple-A, and a spot on Toronto's bench may be his down the line if he can rediscover his swing.
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Blue Jays' Jake Bloss: Optioned to Triple-A
The Blue Jays optioned Bloss to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Bloss allowed eight earned runs across 8.0 innings in four appearances during spring training. His best outing came in his most recent outing March 10, when he pitched three scoreless innings. It was thought the 23-year-old had a chance at cracking the rotation to begin the season depending on the availability of Max Scherzer (thumb), but Bloss will have to wait a little longer.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Tentatively lined up for Saturday
Scherzer (thumb) said Thursday that he's tentatively lined up to pitch in a game Saturday, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.
Scherzer got through a bullpen session Thursday without any apparent issues, but he will have to wait and see how his right thumb recovers before he's cleared to pitch Saturday. If he is able to take the ball this weekend, the goal is to get up to the 65-to-70 pitch count, which would set him up to be ready to make his first start of the regular season.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Remains favorite for backup job
Heineman is expected to begin the season as the Blue Jays' No. 2 catcher behind Alejandro Kirk, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
He's the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, so this isn't a big surprise, but NRI signing Christian Bethancourt also hasn't shown enough in camp to push Heineman for the job. The switch-hitting Heineman doesn't offer much offense and has a .212/.298/.273 slash line through 299 plate appearances in the majors, but he could end up seeing the biggest workload of his career in 2025 -- Kirk has never caught more than 99 games in a season.
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Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Resumes throwing program
Swanson (forearm) resumed a throwing program Wednesday and "felt good," per Blue Jays manager John Schneider, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
It's the beginning of what will be a deliberate ramp-up as Swanson works his way back from a median nerve entrapment in his right forearm. The right-handed reliever will begin the season on the 15-day injured list and should be expected to miss at least the first month or so of the season.
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Blue Jays' Zach Pop: Headed to IL with sore elbow
Pop will begin the season on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Pop felt discomfort in his pitching elbow following his last Grapefruit League appearance Monday. While an MRI didn't show any structural damage, he will be shut down for the next 7-to-10 days and will require an IL stint.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Aiming to be ready Opening Day
Scherzer (thumb) will throw another bullpen session Thursday and hopes to pitch in a game this weekend, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Scherzer and the Blue Jays remain hopeful that the veteran right-hander will be ready to go on Opening Day, but they'll have to wait and see how his sore thumb responds. The 40-year-old has been excellent this spring when on the bump, yielding just two runs with a 14:0 K:BB in nine innings.
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Blue Jays' George Springer: Not concerned with spring numbers
Springer says he feels good despite batting .107 (3-for-28) this spring with zero home runs, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. "I feel great, actually," Springer said. "For me, it's about the process. It's not about the results. I want to make sure that I'm swinging at the right pitches and getting my swing off. Yeah, obviously everyone would like to see the ball hit the grass, but for me specifically, I'm working on the mechanical side of it."
While the 35-year-old isn't concerned about his lack of results in camp, fantasy investors likely are. Springer's .674 OPS and 50.7 percent groundball rate last season were career worsts, and it wasn't due to simple bad luck as his average exit velocity, max exit velocity and bat speed all showed declines. If he can't turn things around quickly to begin the regular season, the Blue Jays will have to give serious thought to handing some of his playing time to younger options, such as prospect Alan Roden.
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Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Hopes to pitch in game this weekend
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that he's hopeful Scherzer (thumb) can pitch in a game this weekend, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Scherzer is dealing with a nagging right thumb issue that, according to Schneider, felt "probably a little bit better than I think he expected" Tuesday. The pitcher has said the injury begins to flare up on him around 50 pitches, but he's trying to get a better handle on it while working with a hand specialist, doctors and trainers. Scherzer is considered day-to-day.
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Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: To resume throwing soon
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Swanson (forearm) will resume a throwing program Wednesday or Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
It will be the beginning of what Schneider referred to as a "normal-ish, maybe a little bit of an accelerated ramp-up" similar to what pitchers do at the start of spring training. Given that timetable, it sounds like Swanson will probably miss most, it not all, of April, as he works his way back from a median nerve entrapment in his right forearm.
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Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Looks ready for Opening Day
Garcia gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning of relief during Monday's split-squad game against the Yankees.
The veteran right-hander has been almost untouchable this spring, posting a 0.00 ERA and 9:0 K:BB through six Grapefruit League innings. Garcia has recorded double-digit holds in three straight seasons, and he seems likely to make it four straight as he gets ready to be the Blue Jays' top setup man ahead of new closer Jeff Hoffman.
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Blue Jays' Jake Bloss: Might get early look in rotation
Bloss could be an option as the Blue Jays' No. 5 starter if Max Scherzer (thumb) isn't ready for the start of the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Yariel Rodriguez is the more likely candidate to fill in, but he's struggled this spring, serving up four homers and walking six batters over 9.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. Bloss' numbers aren't any better -- he's got a 6:6 K:BB and has been taken deep three times in eight Grapefruit League innings -- but per Matheson, he has looked sharper in his recent outings. Eric Lauer would be another candidate for a spot start or two early in the season if Scherzer's season debut is delayed. The Jays won't need a fifth starter until March 31.
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2024 Team Statistical Rankings
| Avg | R | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
.241 (19th) |
671 (23rd) |
156 (26th) |
4.29 (22nd) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| M. Scherzer SP Max Scherzer SP | Thumb |
| D. Varsho LF Daulton Varsho LF | Shoulder |
| A. Manoah SP Alek Manoah SP | Elbow |
| Z. Pop RP Zach Pop RP | Elbow |
| E. Swanson RP Erik Swanson RP | Forearm |
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