After impressing in relief, Blue Jays' rookie Adam Macko takes on a new role

Adam Macko will get a chance to show he can be relied upon even more by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadian left-hander will be given the ball to start Friday's game (May 29) against the Baltimore Orioles. It will mark the first career start for Macko in what's been a very short, but effective stint in the Major Leagues so far.

In six games and 4.1 innings pitched, Macko has not walked a batter or allowed a run. He has four strikeouts, while giving up four hits and has kept hitters to a .232 batting average against with a 1.91 FIP. The 25-year-old, who was born in Slovakia before moving to Alberta at a young age, was pretty far down the depth charts when spring training opened.

But due to a combination of a rash of injuries and his emergence since his own injury, Macko is in the right place at the right time and could become exactly what the Blue Jays needed this season.

Macko can solidify himself as a true contributor for the Blue Jays

Similar to Eric Lauer in 2025, Macko has a chance to emerge as a season success story. In 2025, Lauer started the year in the minors was called up to be used as a swing-man out of the bullpen, and ended up starting 15 games with the Blue Jays. His 104.2 innings pitched was fourth most on the team that year and he had the best K/9 rate of any of the Blue Jays' starters that made pitched at least 50 innings.

But due to his ineffectiveness this year, Lauer is now pitching for the Dodgers and the Blue Jays have basically been scrambling to find his replacement at year. Macko, who was originally acquired in the Blue Jays trade with the Seattle Mariners for Teoscar Hernandez, has a chance to be that guy.

Last year, Macko was trying to prove he could be a top prospect and that his injury woes were behind him. He missed significant development time due to various injuries going back to 2022, but in 2025 he pitched most of the season at Triple-A. He pitched in 23 games (14 starts) between the Florida Complex League and Triple-A and in 81.1 innings he accumulated a 10.07 K/9 rate, but struggled with command, producing a 4.32 BB/9 rate with a 4.76 ERA and 4.62 FIP. But he stayed healthy, and that was the key.

Macko has exclusively been used as a reliever this season. In 13 games in Triple-A prior to his call up, he came out of the bullpen for each one and his six apperances in the big leagues have also been as a reliever.

Friday night's start against the Orioles will likely only last a few innings at the most. But if Macko can get through some innings while limiting the damage, it would go a long way to helping ease some burden on the Blue Jays' bullpen, while also giving them another guy to challenge for a permanent fifth starters spot, along side Spencer Miles. With Max Scherzer set to make a rehab start on Sunday in Buffalo, the Blue Jays could be getting at least one starter back soon. But eliminating the need for two bullpen days a week would be a huge benefit for a team that is already stretched thin.

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