The Blue Jays' lack of depth is a serious concern

After losing nine of their last ten games to AL East division rivals, and five of their last six overall, a lack of MLB-ready pitching depth has emerged as a glaring concern for the Toronto Blue Jays, along with the obvious lack of production with RISP.

Bullpen stalwarts like Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson are starting to look a little fatigued, with Swanson allowing 6 earned runs in his last three appearances covering 2,2 innings, and Romano giving up 3 earned runs in his last 6.2 innings.

And the offense has been anemic since the Pittsburgh series in early May. Over their last 5 games, the Jays are 5-for-50 with RISP.

However, despite sitting in last place in the AL East at 25-21, 8.5 games back of Tampa Bay, the Jays have enjoyed remarkably good health so far this season. Pitchers Hyun Jin Ryu and Chad Green continue their recoveries from Tommy John surgery, while Mitch White’s rehab has been paused due to shoulder soreness. However, from the 2023 Opening Day roster, only relievers Adam Cimber and Zach Pop have spent any time on the injured list.

Cimber and Pop were replaced on the 26-man roster by Nate Pearson and Jay Jackson, respectively. Thomas Hatch was recalled to replace Jackson after he’d pitched in consecutive games on May 14-15. Pearson has certainly been a welcome addition, with a 2.70 ERA in his 10 innings so far, with 9 strikeouts against only two walks. He’s also bringing some much needed ‘swing and miss’ heat to the bullpen, with a 97.7 mph fastball that he mixes with an 86.3 mph slider.

Amongst position players, a few like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., have missed games with bumps and bruises. Santiago Espinal was removed from yesterday’s game with right hamstring discomfort after stealing second base, but really the only other major roster decision has been whether to use Nathan Lukes or Jordan Luplow as the last player on the bench.