Prospect pitcher Dany Jimenez returned to Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays lost five minor league players this last off-season in the Rule 5 draft: pitcher Dany Jimenez (Oakland Athletics), pitcher Jake Fishman (Miami Marlins), Zach Jackson (Athletics), pitcher Justin Dillon (New York Mets), and catcher Yorman Rodriguez (San Diego Padres).

On March 15, Jimenez would be returned to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Athletics as he was not going to make the opening day roster, a requirement for players selected in the Rule 5 Draft (amongst others).

So far this spring, Jimenez has pitched in three games and has amassed a 6.00 ERA with two earned runs (giving up one home run) while striking out three along with two walks. The right-hander would also throw to a 1.67 WHIP with the Athletics before being returned to the Blue Jays. For his minor league career, Jimenez has appeared in 104 games and has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 257 strikeouts, 71 walks, and a 1.127 WHIP in 197.0 innings, collecting 24 saves while reaching AA with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

In the 2019/20 off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays did not protect the pitcher on the 40 man roster and he was picked up by the San Francisco Giants in the Rule 5 draft. He would make his MLB debut with the Giants in 2020, pitching in two games and crafting a 6.75 ERA with one strikeout and three walks while giving up one earned run over 1.1 innings. The Giants would return him to the Blue Jays just a few games into the regular season and he spent this past winter playing in the Dominican Winter League with Tigres del Lacey (due to the cancelled MiLB season).

In back to back years, Jimenez has been taken by two different teams in the Rule 5 draft only to be returned back to the Toronto Blue Jays. While he has produced in the minor leagues, he has not been able to make the jump to the major league level when given the chance with both the Giants and with the Athletics. He did have a solid spring campaign with the Giants last season but was unable to find his control in his two outings at the start of the season, eventually resulting in him being returned rather quickly.

Now back with the Blue Jays, Jimenez will join the organization as a non-roster invite and is considered a long shot to join the opening day roster, and will most likely be sent to AAA to begin the 2021 season.