When the Toronto Blue Jays battle the Athletics on Friday, March 27, they’ll be missing Trey Yesavage from the Opening Day roster.
Manager John Schneider told reporters, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, that Yesavage will open the season on the injured list. The electric right-hander had been brought along slowly this spring and was expected to have a limited workload heading into the 2026 regular season.
Blue Jays aren’t offering a timeline for his return to games.
It’s the latest in a seemingly unending stream of pitcher injuries for Toronto. The Blue Jays’ roster is already without Jose Berrios, who is dealing with a stress fracture in his elbow. Shane Bieber won’t be ready for the start of the season due to a forearm injury. Bowden Francis is done for the year following Tommy John surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day News: Trey Yesavage to Begin Year on Injured List
The Blue Jays had already announced that Yesavage would function in an abbreviated role to begin the year. The plan was for the right-hander to pitch 3-4 innings at a time early in the season. Yesavage threw 98 innings in the minors last season. He added 14 innings in the big leagues to finish the regular season, then 27.2 frames in the postseason. It was a significant workload for his first professional season.
The revelation that Yesavage will not pitch at all to open the campaign is a concerning turn of events. There had been no prior report of an injury for the promising young pitcher. He’s yet to appear in a game during Spring Training.
Yesavage zoomed through the Blue Jays minor league system. He was taken with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft and hit the ground running. The righty posted an absurd 41.1% strikeout rate across four minor league levels. Yesavage delivered a 3.63 ERA over six appearances at Triple-A before getting called up to the Blue Jays.
The jump to the big leagues hardly phased Yesavage. The 22-year-old dazzled with a 3.21 ERA and a 25.8% strikeout rate over his first three MLB starts. Yesavage played a crucial role in the playoffs as the Blue Jays made a run to the World Series. He piled up 39 strikeouts in six postseason outings. Yesavage notched wins in the ALDS and ALCS, as Toronto dispatched the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, respectively. The righty then grabbed another win in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He picked up a hold in the Game 7 defeat.
Who Fills In For Trey Yesavage in the Blue Jays’ Rotation?
The Blue Jays will start the 2026 season with veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman on the mound. The $210 million man, Dylan Cease, will follow behind him. Fellow free agent acquisition Cody Ponce will be in the rotation as well. Toronto brought back veteran Max Scherzer to provide pitching depth. He’s now a lock to be on the pitching staff to begin the year.
The absence of Yesavage opens the door for lefty Eric Lauer to rejoin the rotation. It’s an ironic development for Lauer, who was bumped to the bullpen after Yesavage emerged down the stretch in 2025. The veteran expressed his displeasure with how his role changed, but he’s now expected to be in the mix for the final spot.
Blue Jays Get Brutal Opening Day News on Trey Yesavage