The Toronto Blue Jays are battling for a playoff spot and got some positive injury news on a veteran pitcher.
Toronto is set to kick off a pivotal three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. The Blue Jays are coming off a disappointing series loss to the Athletics on the road.
Toronto enters the series with a record of 73-74 and 1 game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot.
The Blue Jays will start future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer in the series opener against Baltimore on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.
Toronto Blue Jays Get Positive News on Josh Winckowski
Before the Blue Jays series against the Orioles, Toronto got some positive injury news on veteran pitcher Josh Winckowski.
Winckowski is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery as he completes his rehab assignment. So, the Buffalo Bisons, Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, activated him off the 60-day injured list. The news was seen on the MiLB transactions log.
Toronto signed Winckowski to a two-year minor-league deal this offseason. The move was really a one-year deal, as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and was expected to miss most of the season.
However, Winckowski is now back and set to pitch for the Bisons, adding some veteran pitching depth for the Blue Jays. He could be someone Toronto promotes during a bullpen game to give some length, as he does have MLB experience.
Toronto selected Winckowski in the 15th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and in 2021, he was part of a trade package for Steven Matz. Just a month later, the New York Mets dealt him to the Red Sox, where he went on to make his MLB debut in 2022.
Winckowski has pitched in parts of four MLB seasons, going 13-14 with a 4.20 ERA in 121 games, including 21 starts. He’s only pitched for the Boston Red Sox in his MLB career.
Toronto planned to build Winckowski up as a starter so he could compete for a rotation spot in 2027.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays are coming off a disappointing series loss to the Athletics on the road.
Toronto had a day off on Thursday and will begin a three-game home series against the Orioles. The series loss was disappointing for the Blue Jays.
“It was a frustrating way to end an otherwise pretty good road trip,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.
Although the Blue Jays dropped the series to the Athletics, Toronto is still firmly in playoff contention, and they believe in their group.
“This team’s going to be playing some meaningful baseball over the next 15, 16 days,” Springer said. “I think everybody in that locker room believes in each other and understands the mission and knows what has to happen.”
The Blue Jays are 73-74.
Blue Jays Get Promising Injury News on Veteran Pitcher Ahead of Orioles Series