After an offseason packed with pitching injuries, the Toronto Blue Jays got some positive news on right-hander Trey Yesavage ahead of an Opening Day matchup against the Athletics on Friday, March 26.
Yesavage experienced renewed velocity during a rehab session in Dunedin, reports Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The 22-year-old is working his way back from a shoulder impingement. He was slowed this spring, and the initial plan was for Yesavage to work in 3-4 inning stints to begin the campaign. Instead, he went on the injured list shortly before the season started.
José Berríos also expected to begin throwing off a mound again this week, too. #BlueJays
The Blue Jays are already missing Bowden Francis, who was lost to Tommy John surgery. Shane Bieber is sidelined with a forearm issue. Jose Berrios has a stress fracture in his elbow. The extensive list of injured pitchers forced Eric Lauer into the starting rotation.
Toronto Blue Jays News Update: Trey Yesavage Shows Improved Velocity
Yesavage began his first professional season in Single-A. He quickly worked his way through Toronto’s minor league system, reaching the big leagues for the stretch run. Yesavage delivered a 3.21 with an impressive 25.8% in his first three MLB appearances. He continued to pitch well in the postseason, racking up 39 strikeouts over six outings. Yesavage earned victories in the American League Divisional Series, the American League Championship Series, and the World Series. He even chipped in a hold in Game 7 of the World Series.
The significant workload seems to have caught up to Yesavage. Toronto was largely mum about his situation heading into Spring Training. As the weeks went by without a spring appearance, the questions about his health began to mount. Yesavage tossed 98 innings in the minors last season, then threw 14 more in the big leagues. He added 27.2 innings in the playoffs.
The Blue Jays grabbed Yesavage with a first-round pick in the 2024 draft. He flashed a strong three-pitch mix during his time in the majors. The righty boasts a mid-90s fastball with a hard slider and a splitter. The split-finger posted a ridiculous 57.1% whiff rate in Yesavage’s brief stint in the regular season. He used it 26.4% of the time, too, so the sample size was decent.
Who Will Yesavage Bump From the Rotation?
The absence of Yesavage opened the door for Lauer to return to the rotation. The veteran lefty was bumped to the bullpen to close the 2025 season. Lauer voiced his displeasure about the role change heading into 2026. He was once again slated for long relief work out of the ‘pen, until the rash of injuries hit the Blue Jays. Lauer is expected to take the ball on Sunday, March 29, against the A’s.
Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease will headline the Blue Jays’ rotation. Free agent acquisitions Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer will round out the group. Gausman and Cease have been relatively healthy in their careers, but Scherzer has had an extensive recent injury history. He was limited to 85 innings in his first year with Toronto. If the Toronto pitching staff is healthy by the time Yesavage returns, he’ll probably take Lauer’s spot. There’s plenty of time for another injury to occur, though.
Blue Jays Get Good News on Injured Trey Yesavage