Could Blue Jays' Spencer Turnbull experiment be over already?

There may be a growing sense of urgency for the Blue Jays regarding pitcher Spencer Turnbull and the decision of whether to bring him up to Toronto. Faced with concerns about their starting rotation depth, the Blue Jays signed the 32-year-old right-hander last month as a free agent.

Max Scherzer went down with an injury, and still isn't back. Jake Bloss was lost for the season and inconsistencies continued to be a problem, with Blue Jay starters posting a 4.55 ERA, good for 26th place in the majors.

The Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the pitching staff for most of the season, and it's been a trickle down effect that also includes a number of prospects who trying to make their way back to the mound. That made the Turnbull signing imperative, but as worked his way up from the Florida Complex League, the situation did not improve with the Blue Jay starters.

On Monday night, Bowden Francis had a disastrous start against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Francis was scorched for seven runs (six earned) over 1.2 IP, allowing seven hits and two home runs. Giving up home runs has been a problem for Francis (and the entire staff) this year. The righty has now allowed 17 home runs, the most in the majors and the same amount he allowed for all of 2024.

When the Blue Jays signed Turnbull, the plan was to stretch him out as a starter. The six-year veteran has made 67 starts and thrown 356.2 IP in the majors. He made three appearances in Dunedin with the Low-A Blue Jays before moving up to Triple A.

But Turnbull's first start at the Triple-A level did not go well. He had command issues with most of his pitches, getting just five outs for the Bisons in an 8-4 loss Sunday to the Charlotte Knights in Buffalo. Turnbull needed 53 pitches (30 of which were strikes) to record five outs, allowing two hits, two runs, and walking three. He hit a batter and struck out one.

Manager John Schneider told the media Turnbull is still working through some mechanical stuff and will make another start for Buffalo this week. The Bisons are in Syracuse to play the Mets, and with Adam Kloffenstein slated to start Thursday, Turnbull will likely go sometime over the weekend.

Turnbull's rough start puts the Blue Jays up against the clock. He didn't look ready for the majors, and in another scenario, may need a couple of starts to improve. But there may not be enough time for Turnbull beyond his next start for Buffalo.

There is a clause in Turnbull's contract that creates a 35-day window from his signing in which the Blue Jays have to bring him to Toronto. Since Turnbull officially signed May 5, that deadline is approaching quickly. That next Buffalo start will likely be the last before the Blue Jays have to make a move.

Needless to say, there is a lot riding on Turnbull's next start. The Blue Jays need rotation help, even though the big three — Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios — have been better as of late. Relying on the bullpen to remain effective while taking on a large workload just isn't realistic. And with the Turnbull deadline near, the team will have to hope there's enough of a sample size of Turnbull's performance for the Blue Jays to judge if he can help.