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Blue Jays: Yimi García will head to Buffalo for next step in rehab process

Michael Coyle — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:39:42 GMT

Toronto Blue Jays’ right-hander Yimi García is set for the next step in his recovery process.

On Monday night, before the Blue Jays’ series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, manager John Schneider announced that García has returned to Toronto and will join Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday for his third rehab outing.

After beginning his initial rehab assignment with the FCL Blue Jays in early May, García was shut down after experiencing elbow soreness as he worked his way back from last September’s elbow surgery.

García returned to the mound with the Dunedin Blue Jays on June 3, tossing a shutout inning before making his second appearance with the D’Jays on June 7. The 35-year-old wraps up his time in Dunedin with a 0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over two innings pitched.

Rehabbing @BlueJays RHP Yimi Garcia fires a shutout 6th inning (17 pitches, 11 strikes) with a strikeout! pic.twitter.com/g0k6uJiPa0

— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) June 7, 2026

García totalled two strikeouts and tossed 31 pitches in his two frames of work. The right-hander allowed one hit, one walk, and topped out at 96.3 MPH with his four-seam fastball in his most recent outing.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen would love to get the return of García, who has worked in high-leverage spots during his tenure with the club. Before getting hurt last season, García appeared in 22 games and posted a 1-2 record with a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 21 innings pitched. García struck out 25 batters and held opposing teams to a sparkling .171 average against.

With Jeff Hoffman continuing to struggle, highlighted by his 6.26 ERA, García has the potential to slot in alongside Tyler Rogers as one of Schneider’s set-up relievers if he proves that he can still flash the electric repertoire he had before his elbow surgery.

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Louis Varland continues to make his mark in the Blue Jays’ bullpen

Tyson Shushkewich — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:00:20 GMT

The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling to find their footing this year, just a season removed from being a few outs away from becoming World Series champions. Injuries have played a major part in the lacklustre record, although some key contributors have also not been stepping up when the club has needed some key hits or plays early this season.

However, while a few storylines from the Blue Jays’ season have been more positive in nature (Ernie Clement’s continued success from the 2025 postseason being one of them), nobody has shone brighter on the current roster than reliever Louis Varland.

The 28-year-old Minnesota product joined the Jays at the trade deadline last summer, and one of the benefits of this trade was that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Varland is hitting arbitration for the first time next season and will have a few more years of the process before he’s eligible for free agency. Twins fans were shocked that the front office traded a hometown product, and this deal could become a highlight of Ross Atkins’ tenure when all is said and done over the coming years.

Statistically speaking, Varland has been one of the top relievers across the entire Major Leagues this season.

He’s tied with Padres fireballer Mason Miller with a 1.6 fWAR and leads all qualified big league relief staff in ERA (0.26). He also ranks in the top five in terms of xERA (1.79), FIP (1.29), and SIERA (1.98) and has allowed just one earned run all season long. Across 34 2/3 innings, Varland has allowed 24 hits, nine walks, and has struck out 45 batters for a tidy 11.7 K/9. The right-hander has amassed a 0.952 WHIP and a 2.3 BB/9 for his efforts, while also holding opponents to a .197/.250/.221 slash line and a .471 OPS.

Varland started the year as a key setup man in the Jays’ bullpen, and after Jeff Hoffman struggled to find his footing in the closer’s role, it was the former Twin who stepped up to take on the role.

Dubbed ‘The Committee’ because of how manager John Schneider wouldn’t tip his hand to who would take over the closer’s spot initially, Varland ran away with the honour and has 11 saves on the season.

Louis Varland edges Michael Petersen for the best reliever stuff last night, 115 to 113. Both kept a zero, both punched out two. That is a tight race at the top. pic.twitter.com/YIwmHlChfd

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) June 8, 2026

Taking a look at his Statcast metrics, you won’t find many blemishes.

Varland ranks above the 50th percentile in each pitching category, and ranks in the 90th percentile or higher in 10 categories. He ranks in the 100th percentile in xERA, 99th percentile in Barrel% (1.3), and in the 98th percentile in K% (34.1) and GB% (60.3).

Overall, he’s produced a +12 pitching run value, slotting him in the 94th percentile. A lot of that comes from his four-seam fastball, which ranks at a +6 on the season, but one of the big reasons he is finding success on the mound is his increased use of the changeup, which sits at 15.5% compared to last year at 4.7%.

It’s a pitch that Varland admitted he had been working on during the offseason when he spoke to Blue Jays Nation, and he’s now enjoying the fruits of that labour during the regular season.

Opponents own a .149 xBA and a .178 xSLG on the four-seamer, which has also generated a 24.2 Whiff% and a 36.4 K% as well. His changeup is producing similar results (albeit with a smaller sample size) to the tune of a .181 xBA, .239 xSLG, and a .181 xwOBA, which does sit higher than the fastball (.213). His changeup is also driving the highest Whiff% and PutAway% across all five pitches (38.9 and 30.3, respectively), and he’s finding ways to handle batters from both sides of the plate.

The statistics alone are showing that Varland is in the upper echelon of relievers this season, and he’s been a key workhorse for a Blue Jays squad that has needed some stability through the times of injury and struggles across the roster. While there is still a good chunk of the season to go, the Jays’ closer has established himself as one of the toughest arms to face out of the bullpen, and the organization will need him to continue his dominant ways at the back end of their relief corps.

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Blue Jays: Alejandro Kirk heading to Triple-A to continue rehab assignment

Tyson Shushkewich — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:34:55 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting back Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer this week, and if everything goes according to plan, they could get another key piece to their roster this Friday.

Per manager John Schneider at his pre-game meeting with the media before today’s game against the Phillies, Blue Jays backstop Alejandro Kirk is heading to Triple-A Buffalo to continue his rehab assignment in the farm system. Schneider said that the best-case scenario is a Friday return against the Yankees if everything goes according to plan.

Kirk hasn’t played in the big leagues since April 3rd after he took a foul ball to his catching hand against the Chicago White Sox.

He started his rehab assignment in Dunedin on June 3rd and suited up in three games for the Jays, going 2 for 9 at the plate (.222) with one home run, one RBI, two walks, and two K’s. The backstop appeared in two games as a DH and one appearance behind the plate.

Alejandro Kirk will DH tomorrow in Triple-A and catch on Wednesday and Thursday.

John Schneider says that Kirk returning on Friday is possible as the best-case scenario. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 8, 2026

Before landing the IL, Kirk had three hits across 20 at-bats and was sporting a .150/.227/.350 slash line with a .577 OPS. He amassed one double and one home run with two RBIs before his injury, tossing out three batters from behind home plate (23.1% rate).

Losing Kirk put the Jays in a tough spot, as the backstop is one of the most important members on the roster. Since his injury, the catching duties have been split between Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela.

The Blue Jays will have to make a roster decision when Kirk returns, and whether the club will run with three catchers on the roster or remove one of Heineman or Valenzuela. The Jays will have to DFA Heineman if they choose to part ways with the veteran catcher, while Valenzuela still has minor league options, but has been playing better.

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Cease and Scherzer to return versus Phillies, Blue Jays pushing back Yesavage’s next start

Thomas Hall — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:00:21 GMT

At long last, the Toronto Blue Jays will soon return to a five-man rotation.

It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for. The time has finally arrived. No longer will this team have to survive on bullpen days to round out the vacant two-thirds of their starting five. It’s back to business as usual, in the traditional sense.

Over the next few days, the Blue Jays will receive not one, but two traditional starting pitchers back from injury — first Dylan Cease on Tuesday, then Max Scherzer on Wednesday. Both hurlers will follow Patrick Corbin during this week’s three-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies, as manager John Schneider confirmed to reporters pre-game on Monday.

#BlueJays & Phillies pitching probables this week:

Tonight: Patrick Corbin vs Cristopher Sánchez
Tuesday: Dylan Cease vs Zack Wheeler 👀
Wednesday: Max Scherzer vs Jesús Luzardo

All is right in the world again. Back to five healthy starters (soon to be six…).

— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) June 8, 2026

That means the club’s next three games will feature these pitching matchups:

Monday: Patrick Corbin vs. Cristopher Sánchez
Tuesday: Dylan Cease vs. Zack Wheeler
Wednesday: Max Scherzer vs. Jesús Luzardo

Cease completed his brief Triple-A rehab assignment last week, allowing five runs (all earned) on six hits — including two home runs — and one walk while striking out six across four innings, throwing 75 pitches (50 strikes). He hit the 15-day IL on May 25 with a left hamstring strain, but it was considered minor at the time and will only end up shelving him for the minimum required stint.

It was the first IL placement of Cease’s career, excluding a COVID-related stint during the shortened 2020 campaign.

Scherzer also made his way through Buffalo, making a pair of Triple-A rehab starts in his return from right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, compiling 6.2 combined innings with three runs allowed along with five hits, three walks and nine strikeouts. The 41-year-old starter topped out at 73 pitches (44 strikes) in his final outing with the Bisons on Friday.

When Scherzer takes the mound in Wednesday’s series finale against the Phillies, it’ll serve as his first major league start in over a month — and almost two months since he completed at least four innings in any start (majors or minors), coming in a six-inning performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 18.

Cease and Scherzer’s impending returns will also create a ripple effect on Toronto’s rotation, bumping back rookie Trey Yesavage’s next start to Friday’s series opener versus the New York Yankees. The organization has decided to provide the 22-year-old starter with a few extra rest days between starts amidst the toughest stretch of his young career, having allowed 12 runs and 11 walks in his previous three outings.

The Blue Jays will need Yesavage at his best when the Aaron Judge-less Yankees visit Rogers Centre this weekend, a pivotal three-game showdown that’ll also feature Kevin Gausman and Corbin.

With Shane Bieber scheduled to make another Triple-A rehab start on Thursday, as Schneider shared, it appears this team may soon jump from five healthy starters to six — a luxury they haven’t enjoyed since spring training. Injuries have, unfortunately, moved those goalposts ever since then.

A few weeks from now, though, Bieber — who likely still needs to make at least two more Triple-A rehab starts after completing a season-high 2.2 innings in his latest outing on Saturday — is expected to become the latest Blue Jays starter to rejoin this increasingly healthier roster.

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June 8 Gameday: Patrick Corbin and the Blue Jays look to keep the momentum going against the Phillies

Tyson Shushkewich — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:36 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays are fresh off a series win and will look to keep their winning ways going against the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set. This is the first matchup between the two sides this season.

The Jays are 5-5 in their last ten games, sitting third in the AL East, while the Phillies enter the Rogers Centre beginning a six-game road trip and are second in the NL East, 9.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves and their league-leading 45-21 record. Toronto will also be welcoming back Don Mattingly, who spent a few seasons on the Jays bench and is now the manager for the Phillies after the front office fired Canadian Rob Thomson earlier this year.

Toeing the rubber for the Blue Jays is southpaw Patrick Corbin, making his 12th start of the season for Toronto. The left-hander was signed early in the campaign when the Jays’ pitching staff kept landing on the IL, and the veteran hurler has done a serviceable job filling in the gaps left in the rotation.

Through 11 starts and 54.1 innings, Corbin has posted a 3.98 ERA and a 4.28 FIP with a 1.380 WHIP. He’s amassed a 6.1 K/9 (37 strikeouts) and a 2.7 BB/9 (16 walks) during that time and has gone five or more innings through seven starts this campaign. Corbin is coming off one of his worst starts of the year, allowing one home run, six hits, and four earned against the Atlanta Braves, but was riding a hot streak to end May. Against the Pirates and Orioles, the left-hander allowed just two earned runs and nine hits through 11 innings, with the Jays winning both games.

Opposite of Corbin this evening for the Phillies will be fellow southpaw Cristopher Sanchez.

Sanchez has been one of the best starters in the league this year, posting a league-leading 1.46 ERA, 1.80 FIP, and 298 ERA+. Across 86.1 innings and 13 starts, Sanchez has allowed just 14 earned runs this season compared to 17 walks (1.8 BB/9) and 103 punchouts (10.7 K/9). The Phillies’ arm also leads the league in fWAR (3.6) and has allowed just three home runs this year for a minuscule 0.3 HR/9.

Opponents own just a .234/.273/.310 slash line with a .583 OPS and a .330 BABIP, so while opponents have been putting the ball in play at an 8.0 H/9 clip, they aren’t crossing home plate. This is in large part due to his stellar 57.9% groundball rate and 97th percentile chase rate (37.4), so while the contact has been hard at times, it hasn’t resulted in runs against.

The Jays’ bats will be watching for his three pitch mix, which consists mostly of his fastball (43.2% usage) and changeup (38.5%) with a slider mixed in for good measure (18.3%). His changeup has been downright dominant, ranking at a +14 pitching run value with a .134 xBA and a .166 xwOBA. Sanchez didn’t allow a single run (earned or unearned) through all of May, and pitched a complete game shutout against the Pirates on May 16th. He allowed a run against the San Diego Padres on June 3rd to prove that he is somewhat human, but outside of one tough outing against the Chicago Cubs on April 23rd (12 hits, six earned runs, and two walks through 5.1 innings), he’s been putting up video game-like numbers.

It's our Roy Halladay Retro Jersey Giveaway Night!

Be here tonight: https://t.co/GVGBqe6I7B pic.twitter.com/V9xc3beZAf

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 8, 2026

Manager John Schneider has six right-handed bats in the lineup, with Nathan Lukes, Andres Gimenez, and Yohendrick Pinango being the lone left-handed bats. Tyler Heineman will be behind the plate with Corbin on the mound, giving Brandon Valenzuela a day off. Daulton Varsho also gets another day off with Sanchez on the mound and his ailing wrist, although he did come in as a defensive replacement yesterday against the Baltimore Orioles. Myles Straw will take his place in centre field.

The Phillies will have all the regular bats in the lineup, which includes Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh, who has been the club’s best bat as of late.

The Rogers Centre will also be packed tonight, with fans lining up at the stadium as early as noon today, with a Roy Halladay Retro Replica Jersey Giveaway to the first 15K fans tonight.

Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Ontario

First Pitch: 7:07 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / SN590 the Fan

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Patrick Corbin: 2-2 record, 3.98 ERA, 54.1 IP, 37 SO, 16 BB

Philadelphia Phillies – Cristopher Sanchez: 7-2 record, 1.46 ERA, 86.1 IP, 103 SO, 17 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:

George Springer – DH
Nathan Lukes – RF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Ernie Clement – 2B
Andres Gimenez – SS
Myles Straw – CF
Tyler Heineman – C
Yohendrick Pinango – LF

Phillies:

Kyle Schwarber – DH
Trea Turner – SS
Bryce Harper – 1B
Brandon Marsh – CF
Alec Bohm – 3B
JT Realmuto – C
Bryson Stott – 2B
Adolis Garcia – RF
Edmundo Sosa – LF

Report: Blue Jays designate Yariel Rodríguez for assignment, activate Tommy Nance from IL

Thomas Hall — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:30:26 GMT

The bullpen churning continues.

Prior to Monday’s series opener versus the Philadelphia Phillies, the Toronto Blue Jays added yet another fresh arm to the bullpen, activating right-hander Tommy Nance from the 15-day injured list. He completed his brief rehab assignment last week, pitching an inning for Triple-A Buffalo in his lone rehab appearance on Friday.

To make room for Nance’s return, fellow righty reliever Yariel Rodríguez has been designated for assignment, opening a spot on both the active and 40-man rosters — a move first reported by Spanish reporter Francys Romero and later confirmed via the club’s official announcement.

ROSTER MOVES:

🔹 RHP Tommy Nance reinstated from the 15-day IL and will be active tonight

🔹 RHP Yariel Rodríguez designated for assignment pic.twitter.com/Ss3c1KW7BJ

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 8, 2026

Nance was placed on the IL with right forearm discomfort on May 17, and his return should offer a much-needed boost for an overworked Blue Jays bullpen that’s been running on fumes over the last few weeks.

The 35-year-old reliever had pitched fairly well before landing on the shelf, posting a 3.86 ERA and 2.49 FIP with a career-high 20 per cent strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) through 21 innings in his third season with Toronto. He’s surrendered just one home run in his last 52.2 innings since the start of the 2025 campaign, also accounting for 1.1 fWAR in that span.

The return of Nance will offer an additional weapon for medium-to-high leverage situations in the sixth and seventh innings, further complementing a group that already includes Mason Fluharty, Braydon Fisher and Jeff Hoffman.

Meanwhile, Rodríguez now heads to waivers for the second time in the last six months. He went unclaimed over the off-season due to the considerable amount left owing on his five-year, $32 million contract — and chances are he will again this time around.

There was optimism when Rodríguez returned to the majors last month that he could regain his previous high-strikeout form in the ‘pen. But the 29-year-old struggled to attack the strike zone consistently, falling back into his old habits, issuing more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six) over 9.1 innings with the Blue Jays.

That earned him a miserable 7.71 ERA and 7.18 FIP across 10 appearances, worth minus-0.2 fWAR. So, his most recent departure shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Assuming Rodríguez clears waivers again, he’ll likely end up being outrighted back to Triple-A Buffalo by the organization. There are expected to be more roster moves to follow this week, with both Dylan Cease (Tuesday) and Max Scherzer (Wednesday) also slated to return from injury.

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Series Preview: Blue Jays welcome the Phillies for a three-game set

Aidan Sinclair — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:00:54 GMT

After a tough series loss against the Atlanta Braves to open June, the Blue Jays bounced back in a big way against the Baltimore Orioles, winning the final two games of the series, collecting their first series win of the month.

The Jays have managed to stay afloat through a combination of injuries and poor performances from big-name players, sitting at 32-34, good for third place in the American League East and 0.5 games back of the Texas Rangers for the final Wild Card spot.

It was a rough showing against the Orioles on Friday night, as the Jays were blown out 13-3, hinting at another series loss. Instead, the bats came alive Saturday afternoon to pick up a much-needed 6-4 victory. Ernie Clement had his name all over that game, going two for four with a home run and triple, while making arguably the best defensive play of the game in the eighth inning.

Brandon Valenzuela had just as good a series against the Orioles, going five for nine with two home runs and five RBIs, raising his season OPS to .822. His continued excellent play has decided to keep him on the roster over Tyler Heineman when inevitably Alejandro Kirk returns from injury that much tougher, given his defensive value as well.

Brandon Valenzuela tees off YET AGAIN for his third home run in his last four games!

The rookie leads all Blue Jays hitters with a 130 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR 🔥
pic.twitter.com/d2VUtnAQMd

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 7, 2026

The Blue Jays will see a roster nearly at full strength this week, when Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and the aforementioned Kirk return to action after completing their minor league assignments. Cease has been out since May 24th with a hamstring strain and showed no rust in his lone rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo last week. Scherzer had been dealing with forearm and ankle injuries and made a pair of rehab starts in Buffalo, aiming to return to the rotation by Wednesday.

Alejandro Kirk has been out since April 3rd, and though Valenzuela has been exceptional behind the dish, it will be a refreshing sight to see the two-time All-Star back in the Blue Jays lineup. Kirk appeared in three games for Single-A Dunedin last week and is expected to play two games with Buffalo before potentially returning for a home matchup against the New York Yankees beginning Friday night.

The Blue Jays will have a tough matchup on hand against the Phillies, given their elite starting pitching. Somewhat surprisingly, the Jays have fared better against great pitchers, beating Cam Schlittler, Paul Skenes, Sandy Alcantara, Chris Sale, and Kyle Bradish all in the last three weeks. With Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesus Luzardo coming into town, the bats will need to continue to fire if the Jays want any chance of winning a series.

Examining the Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies came into 2026 with great expectations, coming off their second straight NL East division title, winning 96 games. Their 2025 campaign came to a halting stop when Orion Kerkering made an error, throwing a ball past home plate, allowing the Dodgers to win the NLDS 3-1. Even after such heartbreak, 2026 got off to an even worse start, as the team went 9-19 through April 26th, before firing manager Rob Thomson two days later.

Former Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly assumed the manager role and immediately catapulted the team to an 8-1 record in their subsequent nine games. The team has continued their march towards the top of the National League, now holding the fifth-best record at 35-30 with a recent sweep of the San Diego Padres and series win over the Chicago White Sox.

As a team, the Phillies are slashing .229/.298/.389/.687 with a 91 WRC+, good for fifth-worst in the league. They have the sixth-worst walk rate in the league at 8.1%, and sit towards the middle of the pack at 13th in the league in terms of strikeout rate at 22.6%. They’ve hit 82 to the Blue Jays’ 63 home runs, though 37 of those home runs have come from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper alone. Apart from Brandon Marsh, who is hitting .338 with an .890 OPS, every other member of their starting nine has an OPS below .650.

The starting pitching for the Phillies ranks middle of the pack in terms of ERA at 4.26, good for 16th in the league. Their FIP ranks seventh in the league at 3.68, and they rank third in the league in K/9 at 9.16. They also have the fourth-best BB/9 at 2.58 and rank second in the league for GB% at 46.5%. The most astounding stat is their BABIP, which ranks dead last in the league at .322, suggesting they’ve been the unluckiest rotation in baseball.

Their bullpen ERA ranks 12th best in the league at 3.72, though they possess a 3.35 FIP, good for second best in baseball. They have the second-highest K/9 at 9.96 and the second-lowest walk rate at 3.00 BB/9. Just like their rotation, the Phillies’ bullpen has been extremely unlucky, posting a .315 BABIP, good for second last in the league. Jhoan Duran has been excellent as the closer, with a 1.31 ERA through 20.2 innings, converting 15 saves thus far and striking out 33 batters. The Blue Jays will also welcome back Tim Mayza, who pitched for the club from 2017 to 2024. Mayza has a 3.41 ERA in 29 innings for the Phillies this season, being their best lefty out of the bullpen.

One player to watch: Cristopher Sanchez

After finishing second in National League Cy Young voting a season ago behind Paul Skenes, Sanchez has made the case to be the frontrunner for the Cy Young in 2026. Recently, he put together a 50.2 inning scoreless streak, the best in MLB history by a left-handed pitcher and fifth-best all-time. Sanchez leads MLB in ERA (1.46), FIP (1.80), HR/9 (0.31), GB% (58.6), and WAR (3.6), per Fangraphs.

What. a. run.

Cristopher Sánchez, take a bow pic.twitter.com/Nf9FwmF7aG

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2026

He is a three-pitch pitcher, with a sinker, slider, and devastating changeup that has induced a .145 batting average against and 49.6 Whiff%. He ranks in the 99th percentile in pitching run value and 100th percentile in offspeed run value, given the tremendous success he has found with the changeup.

In his career against the Blue Jays, he has made four starts and gone 27 innings, allowing just six runs, good for a 2.00 ERA. Most of the regulars in the Jays’ lineup have struggled against the lefty in their respective careers, aside from one.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was ice cold against the Orioles, going 0-10, and before Monday’s game said, “Don’t worry about me, when I get hot, I’ll get hot”, per Keegan Matheson. However, against Sanchez, Guerrero is slashing .300/.417/.500/.917 with two doubles, possibly hinting at the big slugger finally starting to hit for power in this series.

Quick Hits

As the only two serious power threats in the Phillies’ lineup, the Blue Jays will need to quiet Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, both of whom have had great success against the Jays in their careers. Harper is slashing .304/.391/.545/.935 with seven home runs in 112 at-bats, and though Schwarber has a weaker slashline of .221/.289/.477/.765, he has hit six home runs in 86 at-bats against the Jays.
Jesus Luzardo has been up and down for the Phillies this season with a 4.56 ERA through 13 starts and has struggled mightily against the Jays in the past. His lone start against them was last year in Toronto, when he allowed eight runs on nine hits through just 2.1 innings. The Blue Jays will have another great opportunity to pounce on the lefty, who will be the worst of the three starters they see in this series.
Kazuma Okamoto has been heating up recently, going 5/12 against the Orioles, hitting .417 in his last seven days. With two scheduled lefty starters, Okamoto should hit higher in the lineup, and he has had success against southpaws, batting .278 with five XBH in 54 at-bats.
By the end of the week, the Blue Jays could have their ace (Dylan Cease), veteran starter (Max Scherzer), and starting catcher (Alejandro Kirk) all back on the roster, with Shane Bieber and Addison Barger looming.
With the re-addition of Cease and Scherzer, Spencer Miles is likely to return to a long relief role after putting in as a spot starter/bulk man for the past month. On the season, he has a 3.54 ERA and, given his minimal minor league innings, will likely benefit from a reduced workload in the bullpen.

Probable pitchers

Monday: Patrick Corbin/Cristopher Sanchez

Tuesday: TBD (Dylan Cease)/Zack Wheeler

Wednesday: TBD (Max Scherzer)/Jesus Luzardo

Game times

Monday: 7:07 PM EST

Tuesday: 7:07 PM EST

Wednesday: 7:07 PM EST

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How the Blue Jays have fared using bullpen days versus a traditional starter in 2026

Ian Hunter — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:44 GMT

On paper, having only three starting pitchers in a starting rotation would be a recipe for disaster, but the Toronto Blue Jays are making it work. Last season, the Blue Jays also had a depleted rotation and were forced to use a four-man and even a three-man rotation, with bullpen days filling in the gaps.

It’s one reason the Blue Jays employ some of the most heavily used relievers in the sport this season; they’re not only being asked to pick up heavy workloads, but many of these relievers, like Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher, are opening games.

The Blue Jays have to be careful about not running their top relievers into the ground, but they’re also trying to win ball games. They’re already playing at a disadvantage when they announce it’s going to be a bullpen game, so winning those games is that much harder when there might be five, six or more pitchers coming out of the bullpen.

Credit to the Blue Jays, they’ve navigated through this stretch without many of the mainstays in their starting rotation. As Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer are close to returning, and Shane Bieber isn’t far behind, the Blue Jays will have two or even three starting pitchers coming back likely this week alone.

The days of Fisher or Fluharty plus a parade of relievers should be over soon, but it’s remarkable how the Blue Jays haven’t torpedoed these bullpen days.

A caveat here, we won’t count games where a starter had to exit due to injury (including games started by Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer, and Cease), or early exits by a starting pitcher (Eric Lauer on April 5 against the White Sox, for example) who had to hand things over to the bullpen early.

And although Spencer Miles is a pseudo starting pitcher at the moment, I’d still say he’s technically a reliever, more of a bulk pitcher who has started a couple of games.

Through 66 games, the Blue Jays have had 10 bullpen games, with a massive uptick in bullpen work since Cease’s recent stint on the injured list. Five of the last 12 games have been bullpen games for the Blue Jays, which is astronomical.

In those 10 bullpen games, the Blue Jays have a 6-4 record. What’s even more impressive is that the Blue Jays pitching staff has an ERA of 3.68 on bullpen days. That’s respectable for a club that’s merely trying to stay afloat until some of their starting rotation pieces rejoin the roster.

Conversely, the Blue Jays are 26-30 when they have a traditional starting pitcher on the mound. On traditional start days, Blue Jays pitchers have an ERA of 4.11. At first glance, you’d think that record should be better, as presumably the bullpen would be fresher on those regular starting pitcher days.

But the compounding effects of all those innings may have an adverse effect. Blue Jays starting pitchers are averaging only 4.6 innings per start, which is tied for the third-lowest mark in MLB. Toronto relievers are picking up 4.2 innings per game on average.

With stud relievers like Louis Varland, Fisher, and Fluharty, the Blue Jays are leaning into their strength, which is their top-end relief pitching. Despite Fisher and Fluharty bouncing back and forth from the bullpen to opening games, they’re still performing well, even though Fluharty’s 3.98 ERA doesn’t match his 2.30 expected ERA.

The bullpen games are a much smaller sample size at only 10 games versus 56, but it’s very interesting how the “all hands on deck” approach to those games yields better results from the pitching staff. It’s not unlike what the Blue Jays did in Game 4 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, when eight Blue Jays relievers combined to allow only two earned runs and six hits in the series-clinching game.

The bullpen approach failed miserably a little over one week ago, when the Baltimore Orioles lit up Spencer Miles for six earned runs over three innings at Camden Yards back on May 31. But on the other end of the spectrum, the bullpen performed masterfully back on May 21 against the Yankees.

Fisher, Adam Macko, Miles, Tyler Rogers, and Jeff Hoffman combined to shut out the Bronx Bombers while giving up three hits combined. Miles did most of the heavy lifting in that game with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, but it demonstrated the best-case scenario for a bullpen game.

That likely explains why the Blue Jays haven’t been too keen on either signing, trading for, or promoting another starting pitcher as Cease and Scherzer progressed through their rehab stints. The bullpen has been cruising, and although they’re overworked, they haven’t broken yet.

One can’t expect a team to sustain a .600 winning percentage on bullpen days, but working shorthanded hasn’t seemed to handicap the Blue Jays all that much.

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The unsung heroes on the Blue Jays roster so far this season

Ian Hunter — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:14 GMT

It takes a village to get through the grind of a 162-game schedule, let alone fielding a winning ball club. Case in point: the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, who had 12 position players post 1+ fWAR, and seven pitchers with 0.8 fWAR or more. It was a collective effort that enabled that team to win 94 regular-season games.

The “aircraft carrier” type players can carry a team for some periods, but it takes contributions from up and down the roster. Sometimes, players you’d least expect punch above their weight. Every good team needs those success stories to thrive.

The 2026 Blue Jays aren’t where they want to be in the standings, but they still have some of those unsung heroes on the roster. Last year, it was players like Davis Schneider, Tyler Heineman, Braydon Fisher, and Tommy Nance. This year, there are a handful of unheralded names who deserve their flowers.

Daulton Varsho

Despite his astronomical at-bat per home run ratio of 12.4 last season, it’s safe to say Daulton Varsho probably isn’t going to have the breakout 30+ home run season everyone was banking on. His 42.2 AB/HR ratio this season is the highest of his career, and although he hit five home runs in 19 spring training games, the power simply hasn’t been there.

It hasn’t been a typical year for Varsho on defense either, as it seems like he’s missed a step in the outfield. Last year, he was one of the best outfielders in baseball regarding jump time, and this year, he’s middle of the pack.

Suffice it to say, Varsho has still been an important contributor to the Blue Jays this year. The Jays can typically depend on Varsho’s defense and baserunning to be good, but he’s offered more with his bat than any of his other tools, surprisingly.

With a 9.3% walk rate on the year, he gets on base at a decent clip and chips in the odd home run. It’s been odd to see his power numbers take a sudden nosedive, but Varsho is an important left-handed hitter in Toronto’s lineup.

Patrick Corbin

When he’s not crushing beers on stage with Luke Combs, Kevin Gausman, and William Nylander, Patrick Corbin has been doing his best to help keep the Blue Jays’ starting rotation afloat.

Signed as a free agent in response to Cody Ponce’s injury, Corbin has come through and delivered decent innings for this team.

Mostly a five-and-dive guy, Corbin has collected only one quality start through his first 11 games of the season, but he has tiptoed around disaster, despite an expected ERA of 5.28 on the season. Armed with one of the slowest fastballs in the majors, the left-hander has done a great job of limiting walks and avoiding home runs.

Corbin initially looked like a band-aid solution for the Blue Jays’ starting rotation, but with Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer set to rejoin the rotation in the near future, Corbin’s spot on this roster is solid for now. Similar to Eric Lauer’s stint as a starter last season, Corbin came out of nowhere to help his team tread water until reinforcements returned.

But in an interesting twist of events, Corbin may actually end up being the reinforcement the Blue Jays needed all along.

Louis Varland

It’s hard to say one of the best relievers in baseball this year is underrated, but that’s the case with the man simply known as “The Committee”, Louis Varland. With one measly earned run against him through 31 appearances on the season, Varland is assuredly going to be named an All-Star, or the Blue Jays fan base might riot.

While bad batted ball luck is continuing to plague Jeff Hoffman, the Blue Jays made a pivot to hand the closer’s role to Varland. It completely changed how late-game situations have unfolded for the Blue Jays since then. Varland is 10 for 10 in save attempts, and his ability to lock things down no longer makes it a nervous ninth inning.

The sheer number of appearances for Varland (31) has been a sizable workload in the first half, and yet he hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down. A true measure of success, his Baseball Savant page is nothing but a sea of red.

Baseball Savant

Varland’s strikeout numbers have come back down to earth after his strong start to the season, but by keeping the ball on the ground, he often avoids disaster, unlike Hoffman. There are very few sure things in baseball, but a shutdown inning from the right-hander is one of the most automatic ways to end a game with a lead.

He leads all MLB relievers with a 3.0 Win Probability Added by Pitcher, which is miles ahead of Mason Miller, who has a 2.1 WPA. By now, Varland has not just captured the attention of Blue Jays devotees; he’s on everyone’s radar now. “Unsung” may be a bit of a misnomer, but even after winning a Reliever of the Month award, he’s still underappreciated.

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Blue Jays: Yimi García throws scoreless inning in second rehab appearance with Dunedin

Michael Coyle — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:47 GMT

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider may soon be adding another high-leverage arm to the club’s bullpen.

Right-hander Yimi García made his second appearance in Single-A with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday and once again looked strong as he works his way back from last year’s right elbow surgery.

García entered to open the top of the sixth inning and was efficient in his lone frame. The 35-year-old finished the afternoon with a pitching line of 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, requiring 17 pitches (11 strikes) to close out his outing.

The right-hander struck out Kyle Henley with an 83.4 MPH curveball to open the inning before Bernard Moon drove a 94.8 MPH four-seam fastball to right field for a single. A throwing error by the Jays’ first baseman Aldo Gaxiola put the Daytona Tortugas in business with runners on first and third.

In a jam, García got Rafhlmil Torres to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to escape without any damage. During the outing, García averaged 95 MPH on his four-seamer and topped out at 96.3 MPH.

Rehabbing @BlueJays RHP Yimi Garcia fires a shutout 6th inning (17 pitches, 11 strikes) with a strikeout! pic.twitter.com/g0k6uJiPa0

— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) June 7, 2026

A promotion to Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons feels like it’s just around the corner for García as the Blue Jays increase the level of competition for the 11-year MLB veteran. García’s last appearance with the Blue Jays came on July 2, 2025, before undergoing season-ending surgery in September. In 22 games with the Blue Jays last season, García went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 21 innings.

In other organizational news, right-hander Tanner Andrews cleared waivers and has been reassigned to Triple-A with the Bisons. Andrews was designated for assignment on June 4 to make room on the 40-man roster for Chad Dallas.

Andrews made his MLB debut on May 25 after eight seasons in the minor leagues. In two games with the Blue Jays, Andrews threw three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, two walks, and picked up his first big league punchout when he set down Heriberto Hernández.

In 17 games with the Bisons this season, Andrews is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 21 innings. The 30-year-old has struck out 23 batters and held opposing teams to a .162 average against.