Pair of Blue Jays beginning rehab stints could help the big league roster soon

A pair of Blue Jays may be able to help the big league roster soon.

Outfielder Nathan Lukes and pitcher Hagen Danner started rehab assignments this week with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto's Single-A affiliate. Both were injured in June while playing with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

Danner, 25, pitched an inning Saturday for Dunedin. He retired all three batters he faced, two of them on strikeouts. Of the 14 pitches he threw, nine were for strikes. He was activated from the minor league Injured List and moved up to Buffalo on Wednesday.

On Wednesday night, Danner threw an inning in relief for the Bisons. He walked the first two batters he faced, before allowing a run on a sacrifice fly. Danner then proceeded to strike out his fourth and final batter. Buffalo came up short 3-1 to the RailRiders in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In three games with Dunedin, Lukes has gone 4-for-11, with three runs, one RBI, one walk, and four strikeouts. Lukes also picked up an outfield assist by making a catch and doubling up a runner at second base.

Neither Danner or Lukes has appeared in the majors this season, but both spent some time in Toronto in 2023. Danner pitched in one game as a Blue Jay, retiring the only batter he faced before leaving the game with left oblique strain. The injury landed Danner on the IL, ending his season.

Danner (2-0) has appeared in 22 games this season with the Bisons, saving four games, striking out 24, walking nine, and pitching to a 3.18 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in 22.2 innings. He has done a better job of avoiding home runs, allowing only four as compared to allowing eight in 28.1 innings in 2023.

Lukes played in 29 games with Toronto in 2023. He went 5-for-26 in 31 plate appearances, hitting a double and a triple, driving in two runs, drawing four walks and scoring four runs. Lukes, 30, played all three outfield spots in Toronto and has done so with Buffalo.

With Buffalo, Lukes played in 44 games, slashing .333/.406/.480 with an .886 OPS in 192 plate appearances. Lukes hit seven doubles, six home runs, scored 25 runs and
drove in 27 runs. He stole four bases, drew 19 walks, struck out 29 times, and had a big six-hit night in May.

Since the Blue Jays made a series of deadline moves, and the younger guys are playing on a regular basis, there are opportunities for both Danner and Lukes to make appearances at Rogers Centre this summer.

Both were having good seasons at Triple-A before their injuries, so they may get an audition for the 2025 season. The bullpen has had a revolving door on it this season, which means the Jays may need Danner at some point. And Lukes has been one of the organization's better hitters and defenders, so he may get a call in September when active roster sizes expand to 28 players.