Blue Jays: Prospects that are at risk of being selected in the Rule 5 Draft

Adrian Hernandez – RHP

After a brief stint in AA to start the year, right-handed reliever Adrian Hernandez was promoted quickly to AAA Buffalo and was off to a fantastic start.

He was cruising in AAA and was one player that was at least on my radar as a potential call-up candidate later in the season before right shoulder soreness sent him to the IL in mid-June, keeping him out of game action until the start of August. After a quick rehab assignment in the lower levels of the Jays system, Hernandez returned to Buffalo on August 17th and finished the season with the Bisons.

Numerous Blue Jays top prospects eligible for the 2022 Rule 5 Draft

The return was not as strong as his start to the year, as the Mexican native had three outings where he allowed three or more earned runs and he eventually finished the season with a 4.96 ERA through 32.2 innings in Buffalo. He also authored a 12.1 K/9 while adding seven saves in AAA.

The injury obviously hurt his chances of making the MLB roster and after the Blue Jays added Mitch White, Zach Pop, and Anthony Bass at the deadline, Hernandez’s chances decreased only further. That being said, he might not make the team out of Spring Training but could be a callup option sometime in 2023 if he can find that early 2022 form unless another team takes a chance on him in the Rule 5 Draft.