Blue Jays hoping for Pop sensation in bullpen
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- This camp has been a long wait for two roster decisions, and now it looks like the Blue Jays’ first one is clear. With Mitch White experiencing right elbow inflammation after a recent Minor League outing, Canadian right-hander Zach Pop is in line to take the eighth
Blue Jays-Cards Opening Day starting pitchers: Manoah vs. Mikolas
While Miles Mikolas has limited experience as an Opening Day starter, the Cardinals' All-Star right-hander has plenty of experience matching up against an opposing team’s ace. Alek Manoah, a 16-game winner last season in the rugged American League East, certainly qualifies as such for a Toronto team that will do
Varsho's favorite word this spring: 'Fun'
This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Injuries & Moves: White out with elbow inflammation; Blue Jays pare down roster
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The one player each team just can't live without
We all gasped when we saw Edwin Díaz go down, or Jose Altuve, or Gavin Lux and we all said the same thing: How is that team going to survive without him? But the thing is: Those teams can survive their absences. They’ll miss those players, of course, but they
Kikuchi (9 strikeouts) full-speed ahead as season looms
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Yusei Kikuchi entered Spring Training singularly focused on rejoining the Blue Jays’ rotation, and he has done such a good job that, barring injury, the fifth-starter gig is his. While that doesn’t mean Kikuchi is easing off the gas, it’s safe to say he had at
Tune up for the season with free games on MLB.TV
With the World Baseball Classic over and Opening Day not until Thursday, you might be feeling a bit of a baseball void right now. But you don’t have to. MLB.TV is running its annual free preview. All you need to do is log in with an MLB.com account -- no
Check out all 30 Opening Day starters
Opening Day starts are special, whether it’s a young pitcher getting his first chance in that spotlight or a veteran who has done it many times before. There’s the excitement, the pageantry and the chance to help your team begin the season in style.
Need for speed: Each team's fastest prospect
Speed has always been a key tool for position players. It’s about to get a whole lot more important. New rules coming to Major League Baseball in 2023 -- namely the ones limiting disengagements on the mound and increasing the size of the bases -- are set to encourage an
'I never lost my confidence': Berríos out to find his old self
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Can José Berríos bounce back? That question casts a long shadow. Berríos is one of the most important players on the Blue Jays’ roster. The gap between his career norms and what happened in 2022 is significant enough to make the difference of a handful of wins
As elbow rehab advances, Ryu wants to finish what he started
LAKELAND, Fla. -- It’s been three years since three words reintroduced the Blue Jays to the rest of the league: Hyun Jin Ryu. Those were the early days of the era the Blue Jays still stand in, when the debuts of a young core with famous last names eased the
'Funky' numbers should improve, but Gausman’s focus is elsewhere
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- In 2022, Kevin Gausman was either the second, fifth, 11th or 15th best pitcher in the American League. It all depends on which numbers you care about. Gausman calls those numbers “funky,” and he’s right. His 3.35 ERA ranked him 25th among qualified AL starters, miles
'More attention to detail' key for Romano, Blue Jays
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Jordan Romano you see pacing the bullpen and pounding his chest atop the mound is not the same Jordan Romano who sits, one leg crossed casually over the other, with an easy smile at his locker in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse. The two may have met,
This Blue Jay is the must-watch player of the year
This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Back from Classic, Lopez eyes Opening Day roster
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Otto Lopez is the prospect who won’t go away. After his brief MLB debut in 2021, Lopez lived on the edge of the Blue Jays’ roster in ’22, being promoted and optioned three times over the final month and a half of the season. All he did
Starter or reliever? Thompson good either way
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Right hander Zach Thompson still isn't sure what his role will be with the Blue Jays this season. Thompson is still in the running for the final spot in the rotation, but by all accounts, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi has put himself in position to open the 2023
Each team's prospect with the best fastball
“Throw him the cheese! Throw him the high, stinky Limburger!” That’s Henry Rowengartner’s line from Rookie of the Year. Of course, pitching is more of an art than simply throwing hard. But sometimes – and especially in an age where we’re seeing more velo than ever – sometimes it’s just
Projecting Blue Jays' Opening Day roster
In the battle for the Blue Jays’ final roster spot, infielder/outfielder Otto Lopez is using the World Baseball Classic as his grand stage. The Blue Jays’ No. 14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Lopez launched a three-run home run to seal Canada’s 5-0 victory over Colombia in Pool C play. This
Vlad back in lineup after missing time with knee injury
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. declared his grand return to the Blue Jays' lineup with his signature play: calling himself safe at first base. The star slugger and umpiring enthusiast ran through the bag on a groundout in his first at-bat on Wednesday, arms stretched out as the ball
3 big questions come into focus at Blue Jays camp
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Spring Training is going exactly how the Blue Jays had hoped: quietly. For a contending club that landed in Dunedin this February with a good 24 of its 26 roster spots already chiseled into stone, no news is good news. But we’re finally reaching the part of
Blue Jays' added bullpen depth opens new avenues for Garcia
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- As the Blue Jays trudged through the heart of their Spring Training schedule this weekend in Dunedin and Clearwater, one of the club’s most impressive performances came 300 miles across the state in Miami. Yimi Garcia, pitching in front of a roaring crowd of 35,890 at the
Why this could be a career-changing year for Chapman
This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. We’re coming up on a fascinating eight months for Matt Chapman. Upon signing his 11-year, $350 million deal with the Padres, Manny Machado
Uniqueness of each starter gives Blue Jays a valuable mix
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Blue Jays have built a variety pack of pitchers, and it’s important how those flavors all mix. The most complicated of the bunch is Chris Bassitt, whose laundry list of pitches has been an endearing running joke in camp: Alek Manoah said he throws 40 different