A recently demoted Toronto Blue Jays pitcher is set to play professional baseball in the Dominican Republic.
Toronto optioned rookie right-handed pitcher CJ Van Eyk to Triple-A Buffalo after their series against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched just once after being recalled, but Toronto opted to option him to get a fresh arm up for the pivotal series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Ahead of the series against Cleveland, some news surfaced about Van Eyk and his future.
Blue Jays CJ Van Eyk Signs in Dominican
Although Van Eyk made his MLB debut this season, he plans to continue to pitch after the season.
Baseball insider Francys Romero reported on X that Van Eyk has signed with the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, which is a professional Winter league.
Van Eyk debutó este 2026 en MLB con los Blue Jays. Tiene una recta en 92-94 MPH y gran arsenal de 6 pitcheos.
“Sources: Los Tigres del Licey signed right-handed pitcher CJ Van Eyk (27) for the upcoming @LIDOMRD season. Van Eyk debuted in 2026 in MLB with the Blue Jays. He has a fastball at 92-94 MPH and a great arsenal of 6 pitches,” Romero wrote on X.
Although Van Eyk is on the Blue Jays 40-man roster and has pitched in big-league games this season, he is eligible to sign in the Dominican Republic. Many fringe MLB players and minor-league players can play in Winter leagues in Mexico and the Dominican Republic by receiving permission from their MLB teams.
Van Eyk pitched in Mexican winter ball last year, going 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 9 starts. So, Toronto is obviously comfortable with him extending his season and building up even more in pro winter leagues.
This season with the Blue Jays, Van Eyk is 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 4 games. The right-hander was selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Florida State.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays are firmly in the playoff mix and begin a pivotal three-game series against the Guardians on Tuesday.
Toronto is 1.5 games behind Cleveland, who are holding onto the final Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays are coming off a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners, which has brought Toronto back into the playoff mix.
“This is what you play for, this is what’s fun,” Scherzer said of Toronto’s playoff push. “When you’re in the hunt, you have to win. The pressure is on. You have to go out there and do something about it. I love these moments. We’re in a fight and we have to fight all the way until the end.”
The Blue Jays enter play on Tuesday with a record of 68-70.
Recently Demoted Blue Jays Pitcher Signs in Dominican Republic