Trey Yesavage’s possible return could be exactly what the Blue Jays need in playoff chase

The Toronto Blue Jays have spent most of the season trying to survive one rotation problem after another. Now, with the American League Wild Card race tightening they may finally be close to getting one of their most important arms back.

Trey Yesavage threw a 30-pitch bullpen session at Rogers Centre on Sunday morning and followed it with light fielding drills, another encouraging step in his recovery from left knee inflammation. Pitching coach Pete Walker told reporters that Yesavage “looked great,” and the 23-year-old is now set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. If that outing goes well, manager John Schneider said Yesavage could return to the majors on Sunday or Monday next week, with Monday sounding like the likelier target.

The timing of Yesavage's return could be coming at the most crucial moment of the season for the Blue Jays. Toronto finished Sunday one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final AL Wild Card position, and the potential return of Yesavage gives them a chance to stabilize the rotation before the season runs out.

Yesavage has not had anything close to a normal season. He opened the year on the 15-day injured list because of a right shoulder impingement and he didn't make his season debut unitl April 28. His current IL stint began on Aug. 5, when he went down with left knee inflammation after exiting a start against the Houston Astros.

Since then, Toronto has, perhaps surprisingly, has gone 21-11 over 32 games. The continued dominance of Dylan Cease has led that charge, while José Soriano has performed up to par as the number two guy and even Max Scherzer had a stretch where he produced vintage results outing after outing. But they've also needed to use bullpen games and openers along the way.

That is why Yesavage’s return matters so much. Even if he is not built back up to a traditional starter’s workload right away, the Blue Jays just need him to throw some competent innings over this final stretch.

Blue Jays getting Trey Yesavage back is welcomed news at this point of the season

When healthy, Yesavage has delivered a 3.65 ERA in 18 starts. He has posted a 23.6 per cent strikeout rate and has held opponents to a 34.0 per cent hard-hit rate which ranks in the 82nd percentile, according to Statcast. Depending on how he looks with Buffalo on Tuesday, Yesavage could be in line to make his next start on Monday, Sept. 21 against the Orioles.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen has handled a difficult assignment all season, repeatedly being asked to absorb extra innings while the rotation shuffled through injuries and inconsistency. Scherzer’s rough outing against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday was another reminder of how quickly one short start can tax the relief corps at the worst possible time.

However, if the Blue Jays catch the Guardians and reach the postseason, Yesavage could be close to a full workload by the time the Wild Card round begins. That would give Toronto another legitimate starting option in a short series, or at least a high-upside arm capable of covering bulk innings behind another starter.

For a team that has had to fight through a fractured rotation all year, that could give them the break they have been waiting for all year.

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