Blue Jays’ injured rotation could open the door for Ricky Tiedemann's long-awaited debut

There is a version of the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster in the next few weeks where Jameson Taillon, Trey Yesavage or Spencer Arrighetti returns in time to give the pitching staff exactly the kind of late-season boost it needs. But if those timelines do not cooperate, the Blue Jays may already have their most interesting backup plan sitting in Triple-A.

That is why Zachary Rotman’s latest FanSided suggestion makes plenty of sense for Toronto. In a piece identifying one prospect every MLB team should call up by September, Rotman picked Ricky Tiedemann for the Blue Jays, acknowledging that the idea might sound extreme given how little the left-hander has pitched recently, but arguing that Toronto has little to lose by seeing what he can do in a relief role down the stretch.

It is hard to argue with that logic. Tiedemann’s career has been slowed by injuries, and his workload still needs to be handled carefully. But if he is healthy, throwing hard and already working out of the bullpen, the Blue Jays should not need much more convincing to at least consider giving him a look before the season ends.

Tiedemann clearly has the talent. When he has been healthy, the former top prospect has the kind of power tools that can boost a pitching staff’s outlook. The left-hander has seen his fastball returning to the upper 90s during his latest comeback. Although he has only pitched in short outings, throwing an inning in each of his three outings with Triple-A Buffalo, it's all positive steps forward for the former third-round pick (2021, No. 91 overall)

The problem, of course, is that Toronto still does not know exactly what it has in him. Is Tiedemann still a future starter? Is his realistic pathway now as a high-octane reliever? Can his stuff play against big-league hitters in short bursts? Those are questions the Blue Jays can keep debating from a distance, or they can use September to start getting real answers.

Rotman’s argument brings these compelling questions to the forefront. The Blue Jays don't have to force Tiedemann into the rotation or ask him to carry an unreasonable workload after such a long injury history. The Blue Jays can just give him some controlled exposure against the best hitters in the world and see how he responds.

Blue Jays injuries, and their playoff push, makes Ricky Tiedemann call up even more intriguing

Under normal circumstances, the Blue Jays might be able to justify having some patience with their prospect. They could let Tiedemann finish the year in the minors, continue building confidence, and revisit his role during the offseason. But Toronto’s rotation situation is in flux.

Taillon is dealing with right forearm tendinitis. Yesavage underwent knee surgery and remains week-to-week. Arrighetti is still trying to work through a foot issue after being diagnosed with Morton’s neuroma. The Blue Jays are hoping at least one of those three can make it back before the season ends, but with the way this season has gone, they could be forgiven if that hope doesn't hold up.

If Taillon, Yesavage or Arrighetti returns, Toronto can reassess. But if the injuries linger, Tiedemann becomes more an interesting September story. MLB teams only get two slots for call ups, expanding the roster to 28 players and the logic is usually getting some pitching help at that time of the year.

If Tiedemann continues to have positive progression from now until September, why not take a shot and move him up? Even if they only want him in a bullpen role, that could mean moving someone like Spencer Miles or Simeon Woods Richardson into a starters role.

However, the Blue Jays may not want to wait over two weeks to make that decision and they could have a solution in place before then. Guys like Chad Dallas and CJ Van Eyk could also factor in here, considering they've already made the jump back and forth between Triple-A and the majors this year.

At the end of the day, Tiedemann's health has to come first, and the Blue Jays cannot afford to be reckless with a pitcher who still has meaningful long-term value. But at 59-63 (going into Thursday) and their Wild Card hopes very much alive, September could be a month that defines their season, and not just a month to get a look at what they could have for 2027.

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