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Eloy Jimenez Eloy Jimenez On bench for second straight
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 12:18 PM
Jimenez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: After being called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday for his first big-league action since 2024, Jimenez served as Toronto's designated hitter in the team's ensuing two games and went 2-for-7 with a walk. Following the Blue Jays' acquisition of Lenyn Sosa from the White Sox earlier in the week, however, Jimenez will now hit the bench for the second straight game. Even with George Springer's (toe) recent move to the injured list leaving a regular lineup spot open, the Blue Jays may be content to rotate a number of players at DH rather than leaning exclusively on Jimenez. |
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Brandon Valenzuela Brandon Valenzuela Streak of starts ends
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 12:13 PM
Valenzuela is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: With Tyler Heineman getting cleared to start behind the dish after a recent bout with back spasms, Valenzuela will head to the bench after he had handled catching duties in each of the prior five games. Since Alejandro Kirk (thumb) is likely to remain on the shelf for at least another month, Valenzuela should stick on the big-league roster a little while longer, but he may not be in store for much better than an even split of playing time behind the plate with a healthy Heineman. |
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Nathan Lukes Nathan Lukes Hitting bench Thursday
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 12:09 PM
Lukes is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: Lukes will hit the bench after starting in right field in each of the Blue Jays' last four games while going 0-for-12, dropping his season average to .065 over 31 at-bats. Though he has a pathway to regular playing time in the outfield against right-handed pitching while Addison Barger (ankle) and George Springer (toe) are on the shelf, Lukes' rough start to the campaign could be beginning to cost him opportunities. |
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Addison Barger Addison Barger Resumes baseball activity
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 11:33 AM
Barger (ankles) resumed baseball activity at the Blue Jays' complex in Florida this week and is expected to begin swinging the bat Friday or Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Barger has played catch the last two days, and returning to hitting and running are the next steps in his recovery from sprained left and right ankles. Barger is expected to resume running Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and will go from there. While eligible to come off the injured list Friday, that doesn't appear to be a realistic target for Barger. Perhaps he'll be back with the Blue Jays for the start of their next homestand against the Guardians on Friday, April 24. |
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George Springer George Springer Resumes hitting off tee
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 11:26 AM
Springer (toe) resumed hitting off a tee Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: "Looked pretty normal, which is good," manager John Schneider said Thursday. "He's feeling better." Springer will likely not need a rehab assignment, and the toe he fractured will just be "annoying" for a couple weeks, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. The Blue Jays are aiming for Springer to return for their next homestand, which begins Friday, April 24 against the Guardians. |
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Tyler Heineman Tyler Heineman Back in lineup Thursday
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 10:43 AM
Heineman (back) is starting at catcher and batting ninth Thursday against the White Sox.
Analysis: It will be Heineman's first start behind the plate since April 8, as Brandon Valenzuela has been handling catching duties for Toronto with both Alejandro Kirk (thumb) and Heineman banged up. Across 20 trips to the plate this season, Heineman is slashing .333/.400/.333 with zero extra-base hits or RBI, three runs scored and a 1:3 BB:K. |
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Tyler Rogers Tyler Rogers Tagged with loss vs. Brewers
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 9:09 AM
Rogers (1-1) was tagged with the loss in relief Wednesday against the Brewers, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk over an inning.
Analysis: Rogers had opened the season with a streak of eight scoreless appearances, but he was tagged with both runs in the eighth -- an RBI single from William Contreras and an RBI groundout from Brice Turang. Even though this was far from being Rogers' best outing, he still has a 0.93 ERA across his first 9.2 innings over nine appearances this season. He should remain a trustworthy arm out of the Blue Jays' pen as long as he can continue to limit the damage like he's done in the past, but his 5:4 K:BB is a bit concerning from a fantasy perspective. |
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Dylan Cease Dylan Cease Fans six in no-decision
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 9:04 AM
Cease didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Brewers, giving up two hits and three walks while fanning six across six scoreless innings.
Analysis: Cease completed six innings for the first time this season, and the hard-throwing right-hander continues to rack up strikeouts. He has punched out at least six in each of his four starts on his way to 32 strikeouts over 20.2 innings, although he's also walked 12, which is pretty high even by his standards. Cease has a 1.74 ERA in four starts, but he also carries a 1.26 WHIP that's largely the byproduct of the amount of free passes he's handing out. He's slated to make his next start next week on the road against the Angels. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage Fans five in rehab start
Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 6:57 PM
Yesavage (shoulder) gave up three earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters across 4.1 innings during his rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
Analysis: Although Yesavage was roughed up a bit, manager John Schneider said the 22-year-old righty "looked like himself" Wednesday while averaging 93.3 miles per hour with his fastball, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. He threw 71 pitches (42 strikes) in what is expected to be his final rehab start before coming off the injured list. Yesavage appears on track to make his season debut during next week's road series versus the Angels. |
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Tyler Heineman Tyler Heineman Not yet ready to start
Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 4:45 PM
Heineman (back) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: Brandon Valenzuela will draw a fifth consecutive start at catcher while Heineman recovers from back spasms, but the Blue Jays' willingness to use Heineman off the bench in Tuesday's 9-7 extra-inning win suggests that he could soon be ready to catch a full game. Heineman caught the final three innings of Tuesday's contest and flied out in his lone at-bat. |
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Andres Gimenez Andres Gimenez Socks third homer
Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 10:38 AM
Gimenez went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Brewers.
Analysis: The shortstop took Jacob Misiorowski deep for a solo shot in the fifth inning to get the Blue Jays on the board in what wound up as a 9-7 win in 10 frames. It was Gimenez's third homer of the season in 16 games after he popped just seven in 101 contests last season, and he's slashing .276/.323/.483 with three steals, five runs and 11 RBI. |
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Myles Straw Myles Straw Plays hero in 10th inning Tuesday
Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 10:33 AM
Straw went 1-for-1 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Brewers.
Analysis: The depth outfielder pinch ran for Eloy Jimenez in the top of the ninth inning and came around to tie the game at 4-4, but the game got wild from there. Straw came to the plate in the 10th with runners on first and second with the Jays up 7-6, and he brought both home with a two-bagger into the left-field corner in what wound up a 9-7 victory. Straw has been used frequently as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, but he has just 17 plate appearances in 12 games to begin the season, batting .375 (6-for-16) with two RBI and six runs. |
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Louis Varland Louis Varland Notches first win of 2026
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 11:10 PM
Varland (1-1) earned the win against the Brewers on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out two across 1.1 innings.
Analysis: Jeff Hoffman blew his save chance after giving up two runs in the ninth, and after loading the bases, Blue Jays manager John Schneider opted to turn things over to Varland, who promptly struck out Joey Ortiz in three pitches. Varland was brought back out for the 10th to protect the Jays' three-run lead, and he ended the game by punching out Gary Sanchez. Varland has yet to give up an earned run through 10.1 innings this season and is building off a strong 2025 campaign in which he posted a 2.97 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 23 holds and a 75:22 K:BB across 72.2 innings. The 28-year-old right-hander is clearly trusted to handle high-leverage situations, which makes him a darkhorse candidate to see save opportunities if Hoffman is unable to snap out of his slow start to the season. |
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Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman No-decision vs. Milwaukee
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 11:05 PM
Gausman did not factor into Tuesday's extra-inning win against the Brewers. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five across five innings.
Analysis: All of the runs Gausman gave up came on a three-run homer from Jake Bauers in the third frame. However, the Blue Jays generated enough offense for Gausman to avoid the loss, with the veteran right-hander finishing his night with 15 whiffs while tallying 62 strikes on 97 pitches (63.9 percent). He is winless through four starts but has not yielded more than three earned runs in any of his outings this season, and his 31 strikeouts (across 22.1 innings) are tied with Jose Soriano for most in the American League this season. Gausman is slated to pitch this weekend on the road against the Diamondbacks. |
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Jeff Hoffman Jeff Hoffman Blows another save chance
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 10:35 PM
Hoffman blew his save opportunity during the Blue Jays' 9-7 extra-inning win over the Brewers on Tuesday, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one batter over two-thirds of an inning.
Analysis: The Blue Jays' bats rallied with three runs at the top of the ninth inning, prompting manager John Schneider to bring out Hoffman to protect a 6-4 lead. However, Hoffman lacked command during Tuesday's outing, recording just 14 strikes on 32 pitches (43.8 percent), and the two runs he yielded tied things up at 6-6. He was pulled after walking Garrett Mitchell to load the bases, but luckily for Hoffman, he did not take the loss after Louis Varland struck out Joey Ortiz in three pitches. Hoffman has struck out 18 batters across 8.1 innings this season but has blown three of five save opportunities, and his grip on Toronto's closer job might be loosening. If he can't turn things around, then Schneider may turn closing duties over to candidates like Varland, Tyler Rogers and, when he returns from the 15-day injured list, Yimi Garcia (elbow). |
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Jose Berrios Jose Berrios Starting rehab assignment
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 5:07 PM
Berrios (elbow) will report to Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The veteran right-hander is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches across three innings, and he may not require a lengthy rehab assignment before being cleared to come off the injured list. Berrios didn't seem to have a guaranteed rotation spot during spring training given Toronto's offseason additions, but he should get that opportunity based on the injuries the Blue Jays have dealt with early this season. |
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Tyler Fitzgerald Tyler Fitzgerald Sent to Triple-A
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 3:22 PM
The Blue Jays optioned Fitzgerald to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.
Analysis: The 28-year-old was called up by Toronto last week after being acquired from San Francisco but will return to the minors with Lenyn Sosa joining the Blue Jays' active roster. Fitzgerald didn't see the field during his brief time up with the big club. |
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Patrick Corbin Patrick Corbin Another start awaits Thursday
Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 12:37 PM
Corbin is slated to start Thursday's game against the Brewers in Milwaukee, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Though he was a free agent all offseason until signing with the Blue Jays on April 3, Corbin had been staying on top of his throwing program while awaiting an opportunity. He needed just one four-inning appearance in the minors at Single-A Dunedin before the Blue Jays were comfortable calling him up last Friday to aid an injury-plagued rotation. The Twins roughed Corbin up for four runs on six hits and one walk over four innings in his Toronto debut, but the veteran lefty will receive a second turn through the rotation while the Blue Jays wait for Trey Yesavage (shoulder) to return from the injured list. Yesavage threw 52 pitches last Thursday in his second rehab appearance for Dunedin and will make at least one more start in the minors before potentially being activated. |
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Lenyn Sosa Lenyn Sosa Shipped out to Toronto
Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 12:19 PM
The Blue Jays acquired Sosa from the White Sox on Monday in exchange for outfielder Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Analysis: After leading the White Sox with 22 home runs during his age-25 season in 2025, Sosa had somewhat surprisingly fallen out of favor through the first two and a half weeks of the 2026 campaign. He had started in just eight of the White Sox's first 16 games, slashing .212/.212/.303 across 33 plate appearances. Though he'll be joining a Blue Jays squad with more established hitting talent, Sosa could capture a more meaningful role in the short term while the club navigates some injuries. Toronto may give him a look as its primary designated hitter in place of George Springer, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to a fractured left big toe. |
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Shane Bieber Shane Bieber Moves to 60-day IL
Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 12:12 PM
The Blue Jays transferred Bieber (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
Analysis: Bieber's timeline for a 2026 debut remains murky, as the Blue Jays have been bringing him along slowly, but a move to the 60-day IL ensures that he'll remain on the shelf through at least late May. The veteran right-hander wasn't cleared to throw off a mound in spring training after experiencing inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow, but this past weekend, he completed his third bullpen session since the start of the season, per MLB.com. He could soon graduate to facing hitters, but Bieber still looks to be at least a couple weeks away from beginning a minor-league rehab assignment. |
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