One More Start, Then Back

Blue Jays pitching prospect Yesavage will make one final rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday before rejoining Toronto as the team returns from its West Coast series against the Angels.

Manager John Schneider confirmed the plan after a recent call with Yesavage and pitching coach Pete Walker. "Get back to 75 pitches and let him feel that one more time," Schneider said. "The goal, going back to Spring Training before the shoulder thing, was making sure that when he's back, he's back — no more detours."

Why This Return Matters

The Blue Jays rotation is in crisis. Cody Ponce underwent right ACL surgery Friday and is done for the season. Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation) is still building up and will need to simulate a full Spring Training in Dunedin. On the active roster, Eric Lauer has battled illness and struggled, while Max Scherzer carries a 9.58 ERA into his fourth start Saturday after dealing with forearm tendinitis. Patrick Corbin, signed for $1 million in April, has ironically been one of the more reliable arms.

José Berríos is also in rehab, allowing five runs over 2⅔ innings in Dunedin last Thursday, but his 47-pitch count and fastball sitting near 94 mph suggest his velocity is back after a rough 2025.

The 2025 World Series Star Returns

Yesavage was a breakout figure in the Blue Jays' 2025 World Series run. The team deliberately kept him from routinely exceeding 100 pitches, a design they intend to maintain in 2026 as they chase another postseason run.

Schneider's repeated emphasis on the word "feel" is deliberate — he wants Yesavage returning with a settled routine rather than the uncertainty of someone still building up. The extra week of waiting was a choice, not a setback. When Yesavage takes the mound in Buffalo on Tuesday, it will be the last checkpoint before a rotation that desperately needs reinforcements finally gets its most anticipated piece back.