The Toronto Blue Jays have officially promoted one of their pitching prospects ahead of their series finale against the Detroit Tigers. The team has recalled Adam Macko from Triple-A Buffalo and placed right-handed reliever Tommy Nance on the 15-day injured list with forearm discomfort.
🔹 RHP Tommy Nance placed on 15-day IL (right forearm discomfort)
🔹 LHP Adam Macko 🍁 recalled from Triple-A and will be active for today’s game
This move was in the making, as Macko was reported to be with the club on May 16. The left-hander was added to the Blue Jays’ taxi squad and had a locker in their clubhouse. He was not activated ahead of their 2-1 win over the Tigers.
The Blue Jays also announced Macko would be active for the game. Spencer Miles threw 56 pitches in their last game, so he’ll be down for multiple days. As a former starter who’s been pitching in a bulk relief role in Triple-A, Macko should provide some length, if needed. Staff ace Kevin Gausman will start the series finale.
Who is Adam Macko?
Macko is a 25-year-old left-hander out of Slovakia. His family moved to Alberta, Canada, where he starred at Vauxhall Academy.
The Seattle Mariners drafted Macko in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He was one of two players the Mariners sent to Toronto, along with right-handed reliever Erik Swanson, for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez after the 2022 season.
Macko pitched for Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The left-hander pitched well in the tournament, with four strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings. Canada fell to the United States in the quarterfinals, 5-3. Macko pitched in that game, striking out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in 1.2 scoreless innings.
For 2026, Macko had been pitching with Buffalo. The Blue Jays have converted him to a full-time reliever this season, with 18 innings in 13 appearances.
He features a fastball that averages 94.3 MPH per Statcast, along with a curveball, slider, and a changeup. MLB Pipeline ranks the left-hander as Toronto’s No. 21 prospect, projecting him to be a possible reliever for the club.
Per Jeff Duda, Macko will be the first Slovakia-born pitcher to reach the big leagues since gaining independence in 1993. He is also the first-ever big leaguer out of Vauxhall Academy.
Adam Macko Discusses MLB Promotion with Media
Pitchers who get called up for the first time become the center of attention from the media. Macko had a chance to share his story with the rest of the world.
Macko told MLB International host Hazel Mae that he was in Buffalo manager Casey Candaele’s office when he got the news. Candaele started by discussing an extra burger the left-hander helped himself to before delivering the news that he’d be called up to the Blue Jays. Macko spent the next day on the taxi squad before being activated to the roster.
The left-hander revealed that he was panic shopping for collared shirts when he got the call from Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker that he’d be added to the roster.
“Everybody was wearing collared shirts on the bus. I was the only one in a hoodie. I was like, ‘This cannot happen,’” Macko told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
“Everybody was wearing collared shirts on the bus. I was the only one in a hoodie. I was like, ‘This cannot happen.’” #BlueJays
Macko became a fan of the Tigers when he watched Justin Verlander’s incredible 2011 season. That year, Verlander won the American League pitching triple crown, Cy Young Award, and MVP Award. The future Hall of Famer is currently on the injured list and not with the Tigers.
He later became a fan of the Blue Jays when his family moved to Alberta. Even before his MLB debut with Toronto, he’s already etched his place in Canadian baseball history in the WBC.
“It’s funny how things all work out together to be the most perfect scenario I could ever imagine.”
Blue Jays Promote Pitching Prospect for MLB Debut Amid Mounting Injuries