The Toronto Blue Jays got the short end of the baseball bat in the first game of their series against the Chicago Cubs. Kevin Gausman threw a rare dud, which signaled the beginning of what would be a 16-2 thumping. Following this defeat, there is Blue Jays news regarding Lazaro Estrada that fans should be aware of.
Losing one game isn’t the end of the world; however, the Blue Jays need to get hot soon if they want to pass the Tampa Bay Rays and challenge the New York Yankees for the top spot in their division. Additionally, the Oakland Athletics have taken over the final Wild Card position from the Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles may be behind the Blue Jays, but if things don’t turn around soon, it could get ugly for them, fast.
That’s why the recent Estrada news might be more important than some people realize.
Toronto Blue Jays News: Lazaro Estrada Activated
Estrada has been on a rehab assignment with the Buffalo Bisons since the beginning of June. Then, insider Francys Romero revealed that the Blue Jays are planning to activate him.
“The Toronto Blue Jays plan to activate right-hander pitcher Lazaro Estrada in the coming hours, per sources,” Romero wrote in a social media post. “Estrada, 27, threw 12.1 innings on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo, recording 13 strikeouts.”
Estrada has three MLB games under his belt. During the 2025 season, he recorded 10 strikeouts and 7.1 innings in two games. This year, he pitched one game, in which he threw four innings and recorded three strikeouts.
Across A and AAA this year, Estrada owns a 4.40 ERA in addition to 15 punchouts in 14.1 innings. He has played 123 games across several minor leagues since 2018. Of those 123 games, he has played 85 as a starter. Additionally, he has three holds, four saves, and 516 strikeouts.
UPDATE: The Blue Jays have confirmed this move on social media, stating that Estrada will be active for today’s game.
Lazaro Estrada, a Swing-Man in the Making?
Estrada can offer the Blue Jays something a lot of their pitchers don’t. Over the past couple of years, he has been both a reliever and a starter.
Estrada hasn’t been able to generate a consistent level of games played from year to year. He has averaged just over 15 games in his eight years as a professional baseball player. However, some years he has played six games while other years he has thrown over 20 games.
In order for him to stick in the MLB, he’ll need to prove his worth. For Estrada, that could be as a swing man. He has recent experience with both starting and relieving, so he understands the expectations of each role. The way the Blue Jays use him once he joins the team will be very interesting to follow along.
Blue Jays Looking For Redemption
The Blue Jays opened their new series against the Cubs in disastrous fashion. However, they get a chance at redemption on June 20th.
Patrick Corbin gets the starting pitching duties for Game 2 of the three-game series, with Dylan Cease closing out the series on June 21st. Between the injuries the rotation has sustained and the lackluster performances from Max Scherzer, Corbin has been a great addition to a team that simply needs consistency.
The game begins at 12:20 PM Mountain Time, 2:20 PM Eastern Time.
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