2 Blue Jays' insurance options who could still factor into the playoff push

The Toronto Blue Jays are within striking distance of the third and final wild card spot in the American League. Sitting one game behind the Cleveland Guardians (going into Monday, Aug. 7) who currently hold the top spot, and sitting at exactly .500, Toronto has an opportunity to make it back to the postseason.

The Blue Jays will have to push their chips towards the center of the table to get this done and call up all the help they can get to give themselves enough of a boost to play October baseball. They already called up Ricky Tiedemann and Sean Keys on September 1st to fill their 28-man roster after both players displayed excellent seasons in the minors.

Tiedemann tremendously helps a beaten pitching rotation, and what Sean Keys has done in the month of August for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, was more than enough to give him another shot in the Majors. The Blue Jays can still call up minor league stars, but they would have to send current players down to maintain a 28-player roster, so who can they move around to maximize their playoff chances?

The Blue Jays have several minor leaguers on the rise

RJ Schreck

Despite being on the injured list for 80 days after an awkward slide against the Worcester Red Sox back on June 7, Schreck has made his return after a rehab stint in Dunedin. It didn't take him long to make to find his footing again by hitting a home run in Buffalo, on Saturday. Schreck is a fantastic power bat who has amazing plate discipline and can give a jolt to the Blue Jays offense whenever needed.

Yohendrick Piñango

Piñango has already played for the Blue Jays this season, making his debut back on Apr. 26. The 24-year-old fared well in 58 games, slashing .260/.306/.396 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs in 169 at-bats. He was optioned back down to Buffalo in late July after Jesús Sánchez returned from the injured list after his ankle injury, but Piñango is a solid player who has already proven to be effective in the Blue Jays lineup.

As mentioned before, the only way Schreck and Piñango can make it back onto the 28-man roster is if the Blue Jays send a couple of players down to Triple-A or if injuries occur. Two players that could be sent down are Brett Bateman and Myles Straw. Bateman has been effective with contact, but has only been able to muster singles, while Straw batted an abysmal .093 in the month of August.

The probability of these moves happening after the September 1st call-ups, however, is low, but both Schreck and Piñango are names to keep an eye on throughout this month. Both outfielders can be called up at any point if the Blue Jays need them. If they are not needed, their recent performances are good signs for the Blue Jays going into 2027 and beyond.

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