TORONTO -- Remember Spring Training? It was only a decade ago.
The Blue Jays had eight healthy, legitimate big league starters. Those early days of camp, always so full of hope, were spent wondering just how they’d put that puzzle together.
Well, we’re still wondering the same thing, but for much different reasons. The Blue Jays are stuck in one of the worst runs of pitching injuries this organization has ever seen, which continued Tuesday when Shane Bieber hit the 15-day IL with right teres major inflammation. He’ll be shut down from throwing for the next couple of weeks, with the Blue Jays still holding out hope that he can return later in this stretch run.
Add that to this list of Blue Jays pitching injuries this season:
Cody Ponce: Torn right ACL
José Berríos: Tommy John surgery
Shane Bieber: Right elbow inflammation, missed first 78 games
Trey Yesavage: Right meniscus injury
Max Scherzer: Right forearm, left ankle and back injuries
Patrick Corbin: Left teres major strain
Bowden Francis: Tommy John surgery
Jameson Taillon: Forearm tendinitis
Along with Bieber, Yesavage seems to fall into that same bucket, where the Blue Jays hope he can ride in to save the day before the season ends. He’s playing catch and the range of motion in his knee is better than expected already, but he’s still a long way off.
So, once again we must ask, how are the Blue Jays going to put this puzzle together? Their current rotation is built on Dylan Cease, José Soriano and Max Scherzer, with Spencer Arrighetti sliding back in this Thursday, fresh off the IL himself. The No. 5 job is a bullpen day for now, and if we’ve learned anything this season, it’s that the Blue Jays need to brace themselves for the possibility that something else goes wrong between now and the end of September, too.
This is where their depth stands right now:
Short-term starting options
Jameson Taillon: The veteran righty is scheduled to pitch with Triple-A Buffalo on Friday. If that goes well, with a pitch count around 50, the Blue Jays sound comfortable with Taillon sliding right into the rotation the next time through. This was the lone piece of pleasant news to come out of Tuesday. Taillon was stuck in a difficult season before being designated for assignment with the Cubs, but sounded rejuvenated after coming over via trade, recommitted to attacking the zone after shying away from that earlier in the year.
John Klein: Klein came over from the Twins in the Jeff Hoffman trade after making his brief MLB debut earlier this season, so the 24-year-old is “ready” enough. Klein is right on that line between a starter and a “bulk” guy, but with pitch counts of 70 and 60 his last two times out in Buffalo, he could theoretically give the Blue Jays four-plus innings in a spot start.
CJ Van Eyk: Also benefitting from a 40-man roster spot, Van Eyk was up to 78 pitches in his last start for Triple-A Buffalo. There’s some versatility here, too, with Van Eyk also able to slide into the bullpen role he pitched in earlier this season with the Blue Jays, including one relief appearance with 69 pitches over 3 1/3 innings.
Josh Fleming: Fleming made one appearance with the Blue Jays earlier this season and has bounced around, but a lefty with a 3.39 ERA in Triple-A this season still gets a piece of the conversation, especially if there’s a lefty-heavy lineup waiting. Fleming isn’t on the 40-man roster, though, meaning someone like Klein may have the inside track.
Bulk options
Simeon Woods Richardson: Also close to that line between starter and bulk reliever, Woods Richardson has stuck around as a legitimate option for the Blue Jays. His 1.04 ERA with the Blue Jays isn’t sustainable when you look at the peripheral numbers, but at this point, innings are innings. In Wednesday’s bullpen game, Woods Richardson could give the Blue Jays 40-50 pitches.
Chad Dallas: Better than his big-league numbers this season, Dallas is a swingman with good breaking stuff who should show better when he’s allowed to settle into a role. Given the roster expansion coming on Sept. 1, when the Blue Jays will be able to keep one additional pitcher, it’s likely that Dallas is here to stay down the stretch. Whether it’s following an opener or pitching in tandem with Woods Richardson, he can be one piece of creating a “start”.