Blue Jays Moves: Bo Schultz joins the bullpen brigade

On Thursday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that they would be optioning reliever Scott Copeland back to Triple-A Buffalo, but that a corresponding move would be announced on Friday. According to Barry Davis of Sportsnet, that move will be fellow reliever Bo Schultz, who will be called up to join the Blue Jays bullpen on Friday.

Schultz was outstanding through eight innings of work during Spring Training, allowing just one hit and two walks. However, the Blue Jays reassigned him to Triple-A Buffalo to start the season in favor of Roberto Osuna and Miguel Castro and the results have been encouraging. After surrendering a home run and two runs in his first appearance for the Bisons, Schultz has allowed just two runs in his last 20.2 innings of work, supplanting Bobby Korecky as the team’s closer. Overall, he owns a solid 1.69 ERA, seven saves, and a 7.6 K/9 ratio this season.

For Schultz, this will be his second run in the Major Leagues. The then 28-year-old received a four game cup of coffee with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014, but was underwhelming at best, allowing 13 hits and seven earned runs in eight innings of work (7.88 ERA).

As was known on Thursday, he will replace Scott Copeland on the active roster.

Copeland was recalled by the Blue Jays for the second time this season on May 18th, but failed to appear in a game over the next 10 days, as Blue Jays pitchers found a decent groove, working later into games. The 27-year-old made his Major League debut earlier this season, throwing two scoreless outings over three innings of work.

As a starter in Buffalo, it was more beneficial to the team to have him continue to pitch in that role at Triple-A, where he owned a 1-1 record, a 2.43 ERA, and a 4.9 K/9 ratio through six starts with the Bisons. Wasting away in mop-up duty in the Blue Jays bullpen only hinders Copeland from hitting his innings mark for the season, although truth be told, he’s not a big piece on the Blue Jays prospect depth chart either.

The addition of Schultz will give the Blue Jays a bullpen that consists of Brett Cecil, Aaron Loup, Roberto Osuna, Ryan Tepera, Liam Hendriks, Steve Delabar, and now Schultz.

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