Checking in on how the minor league portion of the Blue Jays' 40-man roster did in April

As April turns to May, it's officially time to take our first look at how the rest of the Blue Jays 40-man roster has performed so far. This list should give a good insight into who's next, and what role each of these players fit. To start things off, we'll begin with those on the mound.

PITCHERS:

Mitch White: White made one start for Dunedin and one for Buffalo, and the results have been decent but not great. He threw 3.1 shutout innings for Dunedin but surrendered three runs in just 2.2 innings for Buffalo. He profiles as a long man out of the pen/sixth starter but puts Toronto in a tricky predicament due to his lack of remaining minor league options. If he returns before Adam Cimber, there's potential that Toronto uses him in long relief, but with White making his second rehab start Wednesday, the team will have to make a decision soon.

Yosver Zulueta: There were questions whether Zulueta, the team's No. 3 prospect would be a starter or a reliever coming into his age-25 season. Toronto had plans for him to be a long-man in the pen but so far, he's pitched exclusively as a starter and the results haven't been great. Zulueta has thrown for 10 innings across 4 "starts" and given up 8 walks, 8 runs, and 12 hits. While his 12 strikeouts have looked impressive, a full-time move to the pen might be the next move for the young hurler.

Thomas Hatch: Another long-reliever/sixth starter for the Jays, Hatch has made the full-time move to the 'pen and results have been so-so. In 16 innings across 10 appearances, Hatch has a 5.06 ERA with 21 strikeouts, along with his first career save. His walk numbers are still high (averaging 5.6 per 9 innings) but if he can reduce his WHIP he becomes another solid option for multiple innings.

Trent Thornton: A name very familiar to Jays fans, Thornton has continued off of the strong season he had for Buffalo in 2022 this year. In 12.1 innings the righty has a 3.65 ERA and a 1.297 WHIP, maybe a bit higher than you'd like but not awful. For the third consecutive season, he is exclusively a reliever, and with his experience going multiple innings, and low walk rate this season he could come in to play if injuries occur.

Hagen Danner: Catcher-turned reliever Danner impressed in the Arizona Fall League, but found himself in Dunedin to start this season. It's way too early to really evaluate his performance this season, but he's always been very good at racking up strikeouts and has two in five innings thus far. An increase in competition might be the next logical step for Danner, as the 24-year old reached AA last season.

Zach Thompson: When the Jays traded for former Pittsburgh Pirate Zach Thompson, it was a bit of a puzzling addition for me. To put it nicely, his baseball savant numbers aren't really the greatest, and his major league numbers weren't all that sharp. I was hoping I would be able to prove myself wrong by looking at his AAA numbers but unfortunately, I can't. Thompson has given up 19 runs in 21 innings (18 of which were earned) and has given up 28 hits in that period. His 1.764 WHIP is the fourth worst on the team, and he's 29 so he's not some young arm. When a move is needed on the 40-Man roster, it wouldn't shock me to see him DFA'd.

Jay Jackson: A stand out in Spring Training, Jackson hasn't had the success that he was hoping for to begin this season. He has a 5.91 ERA in 9 appearances, and while the walk numbers are way down (only two in 10.2 innings) it's hard contact that's been his downfall. Teams have hit three homers off the righty and have 14 hits total so far. The swing and miss is there (15 strikeouts) but he's going to have to earn some weaker contact if he wants a look with the big league club this season.

Now to the hitters. A couple of these guys are super young and raw, so it's important to note that they're likely still a couple years away from reaching the big league squad. For the rest of these guys, you'll probably see them on the Jays roster sooner than later.