Lazaro Estrada: Everything you need to know

The Blue Jays placed Estrada on the MLB 15-day injured list April 5 with a right shoulder impingement, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. Estrada was originally optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, but the team later discovered a shoulder issue that he suffered while playing in the big leagues, so he'll land on the major-league IL. He'll be eligible to return to action Monday, at which point the Blue Jays will likely send him back down to Buffalo.

Toronto optioned Estrada to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. Estrada was excellent in a bulk-relief outing Saturday, holding the White Sox hitless over four innings while striking out three batters and walking two. However, he threw 66 pitches and would presumably be sidelined for several days as a result, so the Blue Jays opted to shuffle him down to Buffalo in order to beef up the team's bullpen. Given Estrada's performance Saturday, it seems very likely he'll be back with the major-league club relatively soon.

Estrada didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the White Sox, walking two and striking out three over four scoreless, no-hit innings of relief. Entering the game to begin the second inning after opener Mason Fluharty has spotted Chicago an early 1-0 lead, Estrada fired 44 of 66 pitches for strikes in a very effective 2026 debut. The right-hander was briefly the pitcher of record when the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, but the White Sox immediately struck back in the bottom of the frame. Estrada's performance may earn him another turn through the rotation, either as a traditional starter or a bulk reliever, but with off days coming Thursday and Monday, Toronto may elect to simply skip their fifth starter spot in the short term.