Blue Jays pitching prospect excelled in first start since Tommy John surgery

In terms of pitchers returning from injuries, Chad Dallas isn't the one most Toronto Blue Jays fans are monitoring at the moment. Three-fifths of the projected Opening Day rotation are currently down with ailments, as each of Shane Bieber, José Berrios, and Trey Yesavage progress toward a return to the Blue Jays.

That being said, Dallas is facing the most crucial season of his career in 2026. The 2021 fourth-round pick missed the second half of 2024 and all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, returning this spring to impressive results; he made two appearances in big-league camp, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced.

As expected, he was reassigned to Triple-A Buffalo, where he previously made 14 starts before getting shut down. It would have been fair to temper expectations for a pitcher who hadn't made a full start in nearly two years, but Dallas picked up right where he left off, striking out five batters while tossing three innings of one-run ball.

He remains buried on the depth chart (when everyone is healthy) and still needs to build his elbow back up to handling a starter's workload, bu so far, Dallas is checking every possible box on his road to The Show.

Chad Dallas setting himself up as Blue Jays' rotation option in 2027

There should be no expectation of seeing Dallas in Toronto in 2026. Even in Buffalo, the team's rotation options consist of Jake Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann, and Adam Macko. This is purely a year about recovery and getting back on track.

Come 2027, though, things could be different. Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, and Shane Bieber are all due for free agency, while Jose Berrios will almost certainly remain on the trade block. If none of those players return, that'd open up a wealth of possibility for some prospects to stake their claim.

Dallas' impressive spring performance certainly helps him in that regard, but it's more important that he proves and stays healthy this season. He's thrown just 281 total innings since being drafted five years ago, with nearly half of that sum (123.1) coming in 2023.

Of course, that 2023 season was what put Dallas on the map, as he earned the title of Blue Jays MiLB Pitcher of the Year. He struck out a whopping 27.9% of hitters, flashing some better control en-route to a 3.65 ERA. He did struggle once he made it to Triple-A the following year, so he's got developmental goals to work towards as he fully ramps back up.

The injury may have wiped out his prospect stock, but he didn't look any worse for wear in his return to the fold. Armed with a 70-grade sweeper and four other solid pitches, Dallas can put himself back on the MLB radar with a strong 2026 campaign.