ARLINGTON -- Trey Yesavage was in uniform Friday, throwing a side session of around 30 pitches before joining the rest of the Blue Jays’ pitchers for warm-ups in left field at Globe Life Field.
A day later, the Blue Jays had seen enough to set his return.
Yesavage will start against the Orioles on Monday, manager John Schneider told reporters pregame on Saturday. The right-hander is expected to throw three innings and approximately 40-50 pitches.
Toronto has leaned heavily on its bullpen while navigating a thinned-out rotation, making even a shortened start from Yesavage valuable as the Blue Jays push through the final stretch of the regular season.
The need for innings has been apparent in Texas, as both clubs continue to fight for ground in a tight American League Wild Card race. After Dylan Cease lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Friday’s 7-1 loss to the Rangers, Toronto needed five pitchers to cover the remainder of the game. The Blue Jays will turn to their bullpen again for Sunday’s series finale, with Spencer Arrighetti expected to work in a bulk role.
And if Spencer Miles is not needed Sunday, Schneider said the Blue Jays would like to use him behind Yesavage on Monday.
Yesavage landed on the injured list on Aug. 5 with left knee inflammation before undergoing surgery on Aug. 11 to repair the meniscus in his left knee. He made a rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, allowing two runs (one earned) while throwing 34 pitches without completing the first inning.
The results were secondary to how Yesavage responded physically. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.3 mph in the outing, roughly 1 mph below his Major League average.
The 23-year-old is 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 91 strikeouts over 93 2/3 innings this season. His return would give Toronto another option for multiple innings as the Blue Jays navigate the final stretch of the regular season.
Shane Bieber, meanwhile, is scheduled to throw off the mound on Saturday in Texas as he continues working his way back from right teres major inflammation. A return during the regular season is most likely off the table at this point, but Bieber is continuing to build up in case the Blue Jays reach the postseason.
“With the calendar [being] where it is, it’s going to be tough,” Schneider said. “Hopefully we can win some games and get to the point where he can be an option for us. He is going to keep plugging along as if this were the middle part of the season.”