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Daulton Varsho Daulton Varsho Another homer Saturday
Sun, Mar 15, 2026, 9:29 AM
Varsho went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.
Analysis: After launching two homers Friday against the Twins, Varsho went deep again Saturday to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, this time against two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on a 95.5 mph sinker that he crushed to right-center field. Varsho now has four home runs in 35 spring plate appearances as part of a .455/.486/1.000 slash line, and the 29-year-old center fielder might only need to stay healthy to put together breakout campaign in 2026. |
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Max Scherzer Max Scherzer Rises to occasion Saturday
Sun, Mar 15, 2026, 9:26 AM
Scherzer gave up two hits and two walks over 4.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out five.
Analysis: With Tarik Skubal on the mound for Detroit, Scherzer's competitive fire kicked in even in a low-stakes exhibition game, and he tossed 42 of 65 pitches for strikes before exiting the mound with the Jays ahead 1-0. Scherzer has yet to give up a run in two spring starts since re-signing with Toronto in late February, posting a 6:3 K:BB in 8.2 innings, and with Jose Berrios (elbow) looking uncertain for Opening Day, the 41-year-old appears ticketed for a spot in the rotation to begin 2026. |
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George Springer George Springer Struggling this spring
Sat, Mar 14, 2026, 11:03 AM
Springer went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Analysis: The 36-year-old is batting just .167 (3-for-18) so far this spring in limited action with zero extra-base hits and a 5:3 BB:K. Springer was one of the biggest surprises for the Blue Jays last season during their run to an AL pennant, with his 32 homers and .959 OPS in 140 games being his highest marks since 2019, but regression is very likely in 2026. |
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Daulton Varsho Daulton Varsho Goes yard twice Friday
Sat, Mar 14, 2026, 11:00 AM
Varsho went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Analysis: The center fielder took Mick Abel deep for a two-run shot in the first inning before clobbering a three-run homer off Zak Kent in the fifth. Varsho is batting .452 (14-for-31) this spring with eight extra-base hits, including three long balls, and an impressive 1:1 BB:K, an early sign that last year's career-high .548 SLG may not have been a smaller-sample fluke. |
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Yimi Garcia Yimi Garcia Praised by skipper
Sat, Mar 14, 2026, 10:51 AM
Garcia (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday for the first time this spring, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Manager John Schneider noted that Garcia is a "huge part" of Toronto's bullpen and that it was "pretty cool" to see him back up there. It has already been confirmed that Garcia won't be ready for Opening Day, but he will continue his throwing progression and should return to a late-inning role early in the season if he avoids setbacks. |
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Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman Named Opening Day starter
Sat, Mar 14, 2026, 9:57 AM
The Blue Jays announced Saturday that Gausman will be the team's Opening Day starter against the Athletics on March 27.
Analysis: The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering Gausman has been the Blue Jays' ace since joining the franchise in 2022. He's coming off a 2025 campaign in which he pitched a career-high 193 innings during the regular season (32 starts) with a 3.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 189:50 K:BB. Gausman will lead a Blue Jays rotation that also features Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber (forearm) and Trey Yesavage. |
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Shane Bieber Shane Bieber Remains limited to flat-ground work
Fri, Mar 13, 2026, 10:21 AM
Bieber (forearm) will continue throwing from flat ground over the next several days and will be reevaluated late next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Bieber has yet to progress to mound work this spring, and he'll need to wait before being cleared to ramp up his throwing program. The Blue Jays have been cautious with Bieber's return to the mound after he dealt with forearm fatigue last season in his return from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. Bieber has already been ruled out for Opening Day, and he'll likely need at least six weeks to build up once he's ready to start building up. |
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Jose Berrios Jose Berrios Will visit doctor Tuesday
Fri, Mar 13, 2026, 10:09 AM
Berrios will have an in-person visit with a doctor Tuesday to evaluate his elbow inflammation, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Dr. Keith Meister has viewed Berrios' MRI, but the veteran right-hander will meet with the specialist in person to determine the best course of action. Berrios dealt with elbow inflammation and a biceps issue down the stretch last season. The 31-year-old has started three games this spring, registering a 3.38 ERA and 7:4 K:BB across 10.2 innings. |
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Eric Lauer Eric Lauer Still getting stretched out
Thu, Mar 12, 2026, 10:32 AM
Lauer allowed four runs on four hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out three.
Analysis: The big blow off the southpaw was a three-run shot by Giancarlo Stanton in the third inning. Lauer built up to 60 pitches (39 strikes), and while he's still expected to begin the season as a long reliever, his path to a spot in the rotation is beginning to look a little clearer. Shane Bieber (forearm) will begin the year on the IL, and Jose Berrios is dealing with elbow inflammation. That could leave Max Scherzer and Lauer in line to be the No. 5 and, if needed, No. 6 starters for the first weeks of the season. |
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Jose Berrios Jose Berrios Scratched with elbow inflammation
Thu, Mar 12, 2026, 10:23 AM
Berrios was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start against the Phillies on Thursday due to right elbow inflammation, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The injury was revealed on an MRI during the insurance process for the World Baseball Classic, for which Berrios was denied a chance to participate. The right-hander dealt with elbow inflammation down the stretch last year and also pitched through a biceps issue, but the current inflammation is apparently unrelated. Berrios said he's not experiencing any pain, and he'll continue to throw over the next few days as he continues to be evaluated. |
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Caleb Freeman Caleb Freeman Latches on with Jays
Tue, Mar 10, 2026, 4:56 PM
Freeman signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Monday.
Analysis: Freeman spent a brief amount of time with the White Sox last season, allowing two earned runs over 3.1 innings across five appearances in the big leagues. Most of his time was spent in the minors, however, where he posted a 4.44 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 50.2 frames between Double-A and Triple-A. He'll report to Double-A New Hampshire to begin his tenure with the Jays and isn't likely to serve as more than organizational bullpen depth. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage Throwing simulated game Wednesday
Tue, Mar 10, 2026, 10:10 AM
Yesavage is scheduled for a two-inning simulated game against minor leaguers Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The Blue Jays are slow-playing Yesavage this spring after he had a significant workload jump in 2025. While the young right-hander is still expected to break camp as a member of Toronto's rotation, his workload limitations will carry over into the beginning of the regular season. |
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Ricky Tiedemann Ricky Tiedemann Resumes throwing
Tue, Mar 10, 2026, 10:07 AM
Tiedemann (elbow) resumed a throwing program Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Tiedemann was shut down in late February after feeling soreness following a bullpen session but has improved enough for clearance to throw on flat ground. He will continue to build up his throwing progression as his health allows. Tiedemann missed all of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. |
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Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman Strong start to camp
Mon, Mar 9, 2026, 12:55 PM
Gausman gave up three hits over 3.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's split-squad game against the Tigers. He struck out three without walking a batter.
Analysis: The veteran right-hander hasn't given up a run in his first two Grapefruit League starts, posting a 6:1 K:BB over 4.1 frames. Gausman built up to 52 pitches (34 strikes) on Sunday, and while the Blue Jays haven't made an official announcement, he remains to favorite to take the mound Opening Day against the A's. |
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Max Scherzer Max Scherzer Four no-hit frames Saturday
Sun, Mar 8, 2026, 10:11 AM
Scherzer walked one and struck out one over four scoreless, no-hit innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.
Analysis: Making his first appearance of the spring, the 41-year-old Scherzer ended up in something of a pitcher's duel with 22-year-old Andrew Painter in what ended up being a 1-0 win for the Blue Jays. Scherzer faced the tougher lineup of the two, as the Phillies sent out most of their Opening Day starters who weren't participating in the WBC, including Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto. Scherzer tossed 29 of 40 pitches for strikes, and while it's not yet clear how Toronto will arrange its rotation to begin the season with Jose Berrios healthy and Trey Yesavage likely to handle a limited workload, the future Hall of Famer looks like he'll be ready for a significant role right out of the gate. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage Limited workload to start season
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 11:53 AM
Yesavage could face an abbreviated workload to begin the season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The Blue Jays have been pitching Yesavage in live batting practice sessions rather than games, and there's no timeline for when he will appear in a Grapefruit League contest. Manager John Schneider noted Friday of Yesavage that "we still view him as a starter," but the righty could be limited to 3-4 innings per start early on in the season. Toronto is being careful with Yesavage's workload after he threw 139.2 innings in 2025, including the postseason, which was a 46.1-inning jump from 2024 at East Carolina. |
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Ricky Tiedemann Ricky Tiedemann Remains shut down from throwing
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 10:47 AM
Tiedemann (elbow) has yet to resume a throwing program, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Tiedemann was shut down a couple weeks ago after feeling left elbow soreness following a bullpen session. An MRI cleared the lefty of structural damage, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Tiedemann could be cleared to resume throwing "hopefully in the next couple of days." |
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Shane Bieber Shane Bieber No timetable for mound work
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 10:44 AM
Bieber (forearm) had a heavy flat-ground throwing day Friday, but there remains no timetable for when he will throw from the mound, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that "all reports are good" on Bieber, who is "champing at the bit." It's clear, however, that Toronto will continue to proceed cautiously with the right-hander as he works his way back from last year's forearm fatigue. Bieber has already been ruled out for Opening Day, and given where he's at in his throwing program, a minimum stay on the injured list seems unlikely. |
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Jeff Hoffman Jeff Hoffman Plans to ease back on fastball
Wed, Mar 4, 2026, 1:07 PM
Hoffman plans to throw his four-seam fastball less often in 2026 while increasing his slider usage, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.
Analysis: Two years ago with the Phillies, Hoffman threw his slider 47.9 percent of the time and his four-seamer 27.4 percent, and the result was a 2.41 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 33.2 percent strikeout rate over 52.1 innings, as well as a barrel rate allowed in the 99th percentile and a hard-hit rate allowed in the 95th percentile. In 2025, while feeling the weight of a big free-agent contract from the Jays and his first season as a full-time closer, the right-hander tried to attack the zone more often and threw his fastball 37.4 percent of the time, while reducing his slider usage to 29.9 percent. His numbers took a big step backward as a result, highlighted by a first percentile barrel rate allowed and 58th percentile hard-hit rate allowed. A renewed emphasis on his slider, which generated a career-high 47.4 percent whiff rate last season, should help Hoffman regain some of the dominance that slipped away from him. |
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Joe Mantiply Joe Mantiply Inks deal with Toronto
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 7:11 PM
Mantiply signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league spring training.
Analysis: The 35-year-old lefty spent the previous six seasons with the Diamondbacks but was released last June. Mantiply then inked a minor-league pact with Toronto in July. He appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 3.45 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19:0 K:BB across 15.2 innings but didn't appear in any big-league games for the Blue Jays. Mantiply will compete for one of the final spots in the bullpen ahead of Opening Day. |
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