Blue Jays Nation - News, Roster, Scores, Schedule

Series Recap: Blue Jays take two of three from Angels to win first series in April

Ryley Delaney — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:27 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally won a series.

Although they dropped two of three in the weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, they finished on a high-note by scoring eight runs in the first inning on Sunday. Following a bus ride from Phoenix to Los Angeles, the Blue Jays began a series with the Los Angeles Angels.

It was in Anaheim where things started to turn around last season, winning the final game of the series, then proceeding to sweep the Seattle Mariners. This series started better than last seasons, to say the least.

In Monday’s game, the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Jays got on the board in the top of the third, as Davis Schneider walked and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his second home run of the season. In the bottom half of the third, the Angels tied it.

The game held sway until the top of the sixth. Guerrero Jr. and Eloy Jiménez hit back-to-back singles to put two runs on. After Kazuma Okamoto moved Guerrero Jr. to third with a ground out, Lenyn Sosa hit a sacrifice fly to restore the Blue Jays’ lead. In the seventh, Myles Straw drew a lead-off walk, was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and was driven in thanks to a Nathan Lukes single.

They scored a similar run in the top of the ninth, Straw got on base with a single, moved to second on a passed ball, then got another 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Heineman again. Finally, Lukes drove him in with a ground out. Jeff Hoffman struck out the side, giving the Jays a 5-2 victory. Dylan Cease struck out 12 in five innings of work, with the Blue Jays striking out 18 batters in total.

The Blue Jays were looking for their second series win and second three-game winning streak heading into Tuesday’s game. Once again, the Angels scored first, but the Jays responded in the top of the sixth thanks to back-to-back singles by Guerrero Jr. and Jesús Sánchez. With runners on the corners, Jiménez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly.

In the top of the eighth, Ernie Clement hit a one-out double, and Guerrero Jr. was intentionally walked. With a lefty on the mound, Sosa pinch-hit for Sánchez and proceeded to hit a two-run double to make it 3-1. Jiménez drove in pinch-runner Davis Schneider with a single.

Things got hairy in the bottom of the ninth, as the Angels loaded the bases after a strikeout, a single, and two HBP. Hoffman was replaced by Louis Varland, who needed just one pitch to get a game-winning double play.

Unfortunately, the Blue Jays couldn’t complete the sweep in Wednesday afternoon’s game. Coming into this game, Angels’ starter José Soriano allowed just 11 hits over his first five starts. The Jays had seven hits, but weren’t able to cash in any runs. At the same time, the Angels scored their first run in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly, followed by a fourth inning home run from Nolan Schanuel and a fifth inning home run courtesy of Mike Trout.

Soriano eventually left the game, giving him a 0.24 ERA so far this season. The Jays didn’t get anything in the top of the sixth, but scored three runs to knot the game up in the top of the seventh. That last one half inning, as the Angels scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-3 victory.

Lauer didn’t pitch great in Wednesday afternoon’s game, allowing three earned runs in five innings of work. Once again, his velocity was down. There’s a solid argument that Patrick Corbin, who allowed one hit in his five innings on Tuesday, deserves to be in the rotation over Lauer at this point.

Reinforcements will be with the Blue Jays sooner rather than later, as Trey Yesavage started for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday. José Berríos also made his second rehab start on Wednesday evening. So a decision will need to be made in the coming weeks. Thankfully, the bats seem to be waking up.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Blue Jays: José Berríos bounces back with five strikeouts in second rehab start

Ryley Delaney — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:00:42 GMT

After struggling in a rehab start last week, Toronto Blue Jays’ starter José Berríos bounced back on Wednesday.

Last Thursday’s start didn’t go great. Berríos was tagged for five earned runs in two and two-thirds innings. He allowed a home run, a walk, and struck out three, a rather disappointing result. Thankfully, he looked like the Berríos of old while pitching for the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Berríos gave up a lead-off single in the bottom of the first, but retired the next three batters thanks to three strikeouts. The first was a whiff on an 86.3 mph changeup. Then Berríos received a called strike, followed by a whiff on a 94.1 mph four-seamer to get out of the inning.

Jose Berrios strikes out the side in the 1st🦾🦾 pic.twitter.com/e0OELWEYJF

— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) April 22, 2026

The second inning also saw the lead-off batter reach with a single. This time, Berríos induced two groundouts, and with the runner on third base, Berríos froze Harry Genth with a 94.6 mph fastball down the middle.

There were no strikeouts in the bottom of the third, as Berríos got back-to-back-to-back ground outs to end the inning. While he gave up a lead-off single to start the bottom of the fourth, he induced another ground ball, with the infield turning the double play. Berríos ended his evening with a strikeout, getting Quentin Young to swing on a 93.6 mph fastball.

Overall, Berríos threw four innings, allowing three hits and striking out five. His command wasn’t really an issue a week ago, with just one batter getting a free pass, but Berríos didn’t give up a walk on Wednesday. Of the three singles, only one was hard-hit. Moreover, Berríos threw 55 pitches, 37 were for strikes.

His fastball velocity was up from last season, averaging 93.5 mph as opposed to 93 mph last season. Berríos topped off at 94.6 mph on three occasions, generating two whiffs on nine swings with his four-seam fastball. The best of his pitches was his changeup, generating two whiffs on just six total swings. Both the sinker and slurve generated one swing and miss.

If the Blue Jays have the same gameplan for Berríos as they did Trey Yesavage, Berríos’ next start will likely be higher up the minor league ladder. Yesavage went straight to Triple-A, making his second start there on Tuesday evening. It’ll be Yesavage that joins the team first, whether after a fifth rehab outing or on this homestand. That said, Berríos will hopefully be ready sooner rather than later.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Instant Reaction: Angels defeat Blue Jays 7-3 despite late comeback

Tristan Morgan — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:30:18 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays entered the third game of the series against the Los Angeles Angels this afternoon and gave José Soriano, the best pitcher in baseball right now, more trouble than anyone has all season. They battled back from three runs down, tied the game in the seventh inning, and had every reason to believe they could steal the sweep.

Then, a recurring issue surfaced again.

Tommy Nance, Braydon Fisher, and an uncharacteristic Ernie Clement dropped a fly ball combined to blow open a tied game in the bottom of the seventh, and the Blue Jays absorbed a 7–3 defeat that snapped their three-game win streak. They still take the series 2–1 and bank their first road series win of 2026, but the way this one slipped away will sting on the flight home.

As this Wednesday afternoon’s game got underway, Eric Lauer took the mound at around 3:07 PM EST. He came in with two strips of kinesiology tape on the back of his neck, which were a telling early clue on his performance to come.

His velocity was down from the jump, so much so that Statcast initially tracked some of his first-inning fastballs as changeups before correcting itself. John Schneider admitted after the game that he didn’t know anything was wrong with his starter until he spotted the tape. Lacking his best stuff, Lauer was forced to survive on guile and ground balls for five innings, ultimately surrendering three runs with two home runs, in another pretty concerning performance.

Post-game, Lauer noted the kinesiology tape was precautionary per Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. Lauer has now allowed 12 earned runs in his last 12⅓ innings, with his velocity has also been consistently below his normal range in every outing since his “flu game” in Chicago earlier this road trip. The Blue Jays’ injury depth is stretched to the point where Lauer would likely have been used as a bulk reliever behind an opener had the bullpen not already been tapped to the limit this road trip.

Eric Lauer said the tape on his neck was precautionary:

“We're trying to fix some things posture wise.. when I'm sitting, l've been having a little neck issues.. it's more like a reminder to keep my head back and make sure I'm not slouching or anything.”

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) April 22, 2026

On the other side, Soriano has now allowed just one run in his first six starts of the season, lowering his ERA to a jaw-dropping 0.24, the lowest mark in a pitcher’s first six starts since earned runs became official in both leagues in 1913, minimum 30 innings pitched. Despite the best start of any starting pitcher in the modern era, the Blue Jays managed seven hits off Soriano, the most anyone has tagged him for all year, but couldn’t string them together into crooked numbers through five scoreless innings.

Even on a day where the Blue Jays made more contact than any previous Soriano opponent this season, they couldn’t string together hits when it mattered early in the game.

The game felt over entering the seventh, with the Blue Jays trailing 3–0, but the Blue Jays didn’t hear no bell. Kazuma Okamoto started things by working a walk, which was promptly followed by an Andrés Giménez double. After a pitching change, Tyler Heineman broke through with a run-scoring groundout.

Then, Nathan Lukes smashed a 107 mph double to bring in a run, continuing a scorching stretch that has him hitting .435 over his last seven games. To conclude the comeback, Ernie Clement ripped an RBI Single to tie the game at 3-3. Clement finished the afternoon with three hits and is now second in the American League in hits, trailing only Yordan Álvarez. The “Comeback Kids” of 2025 were back, and it was a brand new ballgame in the seventh.

Then came the bottom half.

Nance issued a one-out walk to Mike Trout to kick off his second inning of work. Earlier in the game, Trout crushed a 428 ft homer earlier in the day to tie Garret Anderson for the franchise record in extra-base hits. The Blue Jays’ pitcher then yielded a base hit to Jo Adell to put runners on the corners. Braydon Fisher, pitching for the third time in four days, came on and struck out Jorge Soler but walked pinch-hitter Yoán Moncada before Nolan Schanuel ripped a bases-clearing double that turned a tied game into a 6–3 Angels lead.

Nolan Schanuel clears the bases and the @Angels grab the lead right back! pic.twitter.com/jfjjOr5kNo

— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2026

Schanuel then came around to score for the Halos when Fisher made a pickoff error to second, advancing Schanuel to third. Then three pitches later, with Clement, ranging into right field, dropped a Vaughn Grissom flare for a base hit to make it 7–3. Joe Mantiply then had to come in afterwards and clean up the mess, but the damage was done, and as quickly as the Blue Jays battled back, they fell apart.

Aside from Soriano, Nolan Shanuel was a key difference-maker for the Halos as he ended the day 2/4 with a home run and a double, totalling 4 RBI, as Eric Lauer and the rest of the pitching staff simply couldn’t figure out the first baseman today.

The bullpen picture heading into Thursday’s off-day has some big decisions to make, as the team will re-evaluate Jeff Hoffman’s closer role after being unavailable for today’s game, and it’s a conversation that has been coming for some time, with Louis Varland the obvious candidate to close going forward after a miraculous start, now having 13 straight scoreless innings with an elite 41.3% strikeout rate.

There is a complication with this, however, as Varland has been so valuable pitching in high-leverage spots earlier in games that moving him to the ninth creates a void that’s extremely difficult to fill.

The bottom line for this afternoon’s game is that the sweep didn’t happen. But the series win did, and that’s not nothing for a 10–14 Blue Jays squad navigating one of the most injury-plagued starts to a season in recent memory. The reinforcements are coming. The off-day arrives. Onwards to Toronto, where the Guardians are up next on Friday to begin a six-game homestand.

Blue Jays Gameday (April 22): Toronto looks to sweep series versus Angels

Tristan Morgan — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:15:24 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t bus five hours through the California desert just to take two out of three.

Their journey from Phoenix to Anaheim last Sunday didn’t involve their usual Air Canada charter jet or even a first-class cabin, it was three buses and a stretch of Interstate 10 that felt more like the Northwest League than the Major Leagues. After that slog, the defending American League champions have made it count. Two wins down, and now the Blue Jays stand one victory away from their first road series sweep of the 2026 season.

So far, the Blue Jays have handled the Los Angeles Angels with authority. In Game 1, Dylan Cease was electric, striking out 12 in five innings while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, including a two-run homer, in a 5-2 win. The Angels struck out a season-high 18 times in that one, a deeply troubling number for a team that’s already spinning its wheels offensively as of late.

In Game 2, Lenyn Sosa delivered a pinch-hit, two-run double in a three-run eighth inning, and reliever Louis Varland bailed out struggling closer Jeff Hoffman by inducing a game-ending double play to close out a 4-2 win. Sosa’s emergence off the bench shut down the rest of that game in the biggest moment of his limited time with the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays enter today at 10-13 on the season, but on a three-game win streak and sitting 4-7 away from home, a number they’d desperately like to fix. Sweeping a series in Anaheim would be another meaningful step toward legitimizing this club as a true contender once again, as they wait for their cavalry to return.

Now, let’s get into today’s arms starting on the bump. Starting on the Halo’s side is perhaps the best starter in MLB right now. There’s no way to sugar-coat it; what José Soriano is doing right now is historically special.

Soriano is 5-0 with a 0.28 ERA, having allowed just one run across 32⅔ innings this season. He leads the majors with 39 strikeouts while surrendering only 11 hits. The most recent pitcher to allow one earned run or fewer in each of his first five starts with at least 15 total innings pitched was Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, when Valenzuela won the NL Cy Young Award. Walter Johnson also did it in 1913. Nobody else.

The right-handed pitcher’s average exit velocity allowed this season sits at 87 mph, and opponents are hitting just a .170 wOBA against him. Hitters aren’t just failing, they’re failing pretty badly. Soriano pairs a 99 mph fastball with a sinker that ranks among the best in baseball, and he’s mixing in a curve that has been particularly baffling to opposing lineups.

Soriano's 9th K today ties him for the Major League lead! pic.twitter.com/IsD7AWNMnl

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 12, 2026

However, there was one crack in the armour from his last outing: the Padres drew four walks and forced Soriano to throw 99 pitches, and loaded the bases in the third before he escaped. Guerrero is hitting .354 with a .442 OBP this season, and a patient, disciplined approach will be the Blue Jays’ only realistic path to manufacturing offence against him.

Make him work. Make him uncomfortable. The moment he’s grinding through counts on his third time through the order, anything is possible, especially once the Blue Jays get to the Angels’ bullpen, which has the 21st-ranked bullpen ERA this season (4.65).

Now on the Blue Jays side, Eric Lauer gets the ball in this series finale, and this is, candidly, the hard part of the preview to write.

Through three starts this season, Lauer has yielded 11 earned runs on 11 hits and nine walks while striking out 12 over just 12.2 innings. The stuff has been there in flashes; his season debut against the Athletics was incredibly strong, with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings and just two runs allowed, but he has not been able to sustain it since falling sick in Chicago. His most recent start against the Twins was a disaster, surrendering seven runs in 5.1 innings, including a three-run homer from Trevor Larnach.

Batters are hitting Lauer at a 42.1% hard-hit rate this season, which is an alarming number for a lefty without real high-end velocity. The good news is that Lauer’s underlying profile, when he’s right, is that of a useful, crafty southpaw who can create soft contact. He posted a 3.18 ERA with a 102:26 K:BB ratio across 104.2 innings in 2025. That version of Lauer is genuinely capable of eating innings and keeping a game like this close.

Against an Angels lineup that in the three games leading to this series struck out 39 times while collecting just 14 hits, there’s reason to believe Lauer can be effective. Mike Trout leads the Angels with a .415 OBP and .543 slugging percentage, among others like Jorge Soler and Zach Neto, that Lauer cannot afford to miss with. But if he can get his slider working early and keep the ball on the ground, the Angels’ impatient approach could play into his hands.

One of the key aspects of today’s game is, of course, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as he enters today’s game on an 11-game hitting streak. In that streak, he’s hitting .455 with four doubles, a home run, three walks and eight RBIs. He is locked in, and if the Blue Jays are going to make Soriano uncomfortable, it runs through Vladdy doing what he’s been doing all week.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. CRUSHES a 430-foot dinger 😤 pic.twitter.com/I3q9mZPlg0

— MLB (@MLB) April 21, 2026

This game could define the road trip. Everything has gone right for the last three games against the Diamondbacks and Angels. If the Blue Jays can sneak a win out today and have Jaime Campbell flipping a broom on Blue Jays Central postgame on Sportsnet, they roll back home with some serious confidence and momentum against the Guardians.

It’s hard to imagine the Blue Jays would be favoured today against Soriano, but they’ll show up, and after five hours on a bus and three wins in a row, it might be time for the Blue Jays to officially catch fire.

Location: Anaheim, CA (Angel Stadium)

First Pitch: 3:07 PM ET

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet One, SN590

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Eric Lauer: 1-3, 7.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 12 SO, 9 BB

Los Angeles Angels– José Soriano: 5-0, 0.28 ERA, 32.2 IP, 39 SO, 0.73 WHIP

Lineups:

Blue Jays:

Nathan Lukes – LF
Ernie Clement – 2B
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – DH
Jesús Sánchez – RF
Lenyn Sosa – 1B
Daulton Varhso – CF
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Andrés Giménez – SS
Tyler Heineman – C

Angels:

Zach Neto – SS
Mike Trout – DH
Jo Adell – LF
Jorge Soler – RF
Oswald Peraza – 3B
Nolan Schanuel – 1B
Vaugn Grissom – 2B
Logan O’Hoppe – C
Bryce Teodosio -CF

Blue Jays’ affiliate Vancouver Canadians score 16 runs in most recent game

Ryley Delaney — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:30:23 GMT

The Vancouver Canadians are starting to look like themselves.

Since returning to Nat Bailey Stadium in 2022, the Toronto Blue Jays’ High-A affiliate has made the Northwest League Finals three times, winning it all in 2023. They just barely missed out on last year’s due to a tiebreaker.

The Canadians got off to a rough start to begin the 2026 season, as they started 1-7. In the series final against the Eugene Emeralds, the Canadians won their second game of the season, then took four of six against Spokane. This week, they returned home to host the Tri-City Dust Devils for a six-game series, the same team that won all three in the first series of the season.

Well, the Canadians now have a 7-9 record thanks to an emphatic 16-3 win over the Dust Devils. The Blue Jays’ High-A affiliate amassed 17 hits, 14 walks, and just nine strikeouts. Every player had at least one hit and scored one run, while seven of the nine players reached base with a walk, hit by pitch, or hit.

The standout of the game for the C’s was top prospect Arjun Nimmala, who hit two of the Canadians’ five doubles to go 3-5 with a walk and two strikeouts. Nimmala also drove in three, as did Matt Scannell and Jacob Sharp. Scannell, in particular, had a terrific game. The centre fielder went 2-2 with four walks. Brennan Orf and Manuel Beltre were the other two players to hit a double, with Orf going 2-4 with two walks.

A SCANN-dalous hit ✨#AtTheNat pic.twitter.com/5jtEGBjyDw

— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) April 22, 2026

Last week, Tucker Toman was named as the NWL Player of the Week. The third baseman had another fantastic evening, going 2-3 with a triple and three walks, raising his OPS to 1.171. Peyton Williams walked three times in his first C’s game this season on Sunday, but finished with three hits and a walk on Tuesday.

Carter Cunningham was one of three players with just one hit, joining Beltre and Hernandez. However, the Dust Devils were clearly scared of the first baseman/outfield, walking him three times.

That doesn’t even mention a terrific pitching performance from Landen Maroudis. The right-handed pitcher threw three and two-thirds innings with three hits allowed, no walks, and four strikeouts to bring his ERA down to 2.13. Last season, his BB% sat at 20.8% across two levels with a 15.7 K%. After Tuesday’s performance, the Blue Jays’ fourth-rounder in 2023 has a 23.6 K% and 7.3 BB% this season.

Two other pitchers were used by the Canadians in this game. As per usual, Gilberto Batista came in following Maroudis, giving up three earned runs on five hits and three walks, striking out just one batter. Juanmi Vasquez struck out four and walked two in two innings of work.

Their next game is on Wednesday at 10:05 PM ET with Daniel Guerra on the mound. Last time out, Guerra struck out 11 and walked two in five hitless innings and was named the NWL Pitcher of the Week.

Other notes from Tuesday’s games…

The other Blue Jay affiliate to win on Tuesday were the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. They began a six-game series with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, breaking the deadlock in the eighth inning in a 3-2 victory.

For the first time since his professional debut, JoJo Parker failed to reach base, ending his 12-game on-base streak. Blaine Bullard walked three times and struck out twice, while Juan Sanchez was 0-5 with a strikeout. However, Sanchez drove in two runs (not RBIs) thanks to a hard-hit fielding error.

David Beckles drove in the game-winning run with a single and was 2-3 with a walk and a double. Dariel Ramon hit his second double of the season and had a multi-hit game and Adrian Pinto hit a double on a rehab assignment.

David Beckles gives the Jays a 3-2 lead in the 8th with an RBI single! pic.twitter.com/x9AWLSXBmS

— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) April 22, 2026

Troy Guthrie had a solid start, striking out four and allowing three hits in three innings of one-run ball. His fastball touched a tick under 93 mph and averaged 91.2 mph. His slider generated three whiffs on eight total swings. Dylan Watts struck out four in three innings of work and Jack Eshleman picked up the save with two scoreless innings.

As you likely know, José Berríos is set to make a rehab start for the D-jays on Wednesday, with that game starting at 7:05 PM ET.

The Triple-A Buffalo Bisons dropped a 5-2 decision to the Columbus Clippers. Trey Yesavage made a rehab start, with his command eluding him in the third inning. Overall, he finished with a line of 2.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. The rest of the Bisons’ pitchers found success.

Left-handed reliever Brendan Cellucci relieved Yesavage, going one and two-thirds innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Tanner Andrews struck out two in two scoreless innings, and Canadian Adam Macko struck out one in two innings. Yariel Rodríguez gave up the only other run of the game, walking two and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning. Hayden Juenger got the final out.

The Bisons mustered just four hits in this game, three of them were doubles. Josh Kasevich hit his seventh double of the season to drive in a run in the bottom of the first. Yohendrick Piñango and Tyler Fitzgerald also hit doubles, with William Simoneit driving in the other run thanks to a single and a throwing error.

Kasevich gets us one back‼️ pic.twitter.com/cylYrjVrZm

— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) April 21, 2026

Next up for the Bisons is a game on Wednesday that starts at 6:05 PM ET. Austin Voth gets the start for the Triple-A team.

On Tuesday, the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats fell 9-3 to the Reading Fightin Phils. There were still positives from the game, though. All but one player in their lineup (Cutter Coffey) had a hit. That included home runs from Jace Bohrofen and Sean Keys, each their sixth of the season.

JACE SMASH! pic.twitter.com/DFEZkjA3Bx

— New Hampshire Fisher Cats (@FisherCats) April 21, 2026

Right now, there is a three-way tie for the organization-lead in home runs, as Cunningham also has six. Eight players also have three home runs, including Charles McAdoo, Nimmala, Bullard, Riley Tirotta, and Piñango.

Jackson Hornung hit his seventh double of the season, giving him an Eastern League-leading 24 hits. The Blue Jays’ 16th-rounder in 2023 has played 13 games and has a hit in each game. This season, he’s slashing .387/.415/.581 with a home run in 65 plate appearances. He’s a legitimate prospect, finishing the 2025 season with a 132 wRC+.

All but one hitter in the Fisher Cats’ lineup finished this game with an OPS above .890. Eddie Micheletti Jr. has a .906 OPS, Hornung now has a .996 OPS, Bohrofen has a 1.045 OPS, Keys has a 1.243 OPS, Aaron Parker had a .917 OPS, Alex Stone has a 1.129 OPS, Nick Goodwin has an .893 OPS, and Ismael Munguia has a 1.048 OPS.

The Fisher Cats return to action at 6:45 PM ET on Wednesday, with Chris McElvain starting.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Blue Jays sign minor-league catcher Patrick Winkel, reassign to Double-A New Hampshire

Thomas Hall — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:00:19 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays have scooped up a minor-league catcher in free agency, inking Patrick Winkel to a minors deal on Tuesday, according to the club’s transaction log.

Winkel, released by the Minnesota Twins organization in late March, has already been reassigned to Double-A New Hampshire and will provide an extra layer of depth for the Fisher Cats, who’re currently without Geovanny Planchart due to injury.

The 26-year-old Winkel, a left-handed-hitting backstop, will join Aaron Parker and Alex Stone as New Hampshire’s catching options. It’ll be his first Double-A stint in three years after spending the last two seasons at Triple-A inside Minnesota’s farm system.

In that span, the 2021 ninth-round selection by the Twins struggled offensively across 125 combined games, slashing a measly .224/.279/.371 with 14 home runs, 63 RBIs and a 64 wRC+ (100 league average). He also struck out nearly a third of the time while walking less than seven per cent over those two seasons.

Back during his days as a on-the-bubble top 30 prospect with Minnesota, Winkel was regarded as a bat-first catcher, who still had plenty of developing ahead of him behind the plate — only he’s yet to fulfill that scouting report.

Winkel’s best offensive season came in 2023 at Double-A, featuring 10 home runs, 48 RBIs, a .266/.362/.424 slash line and a 106 wRC+. That promising performance also included favourable walk (12.6 per cent) and strikeout rates (24.2 per cent). But he’s yet to recapture that form since then.

He was, however, hindered by a right wrist tendon injury last season that sidelined him for nearly a month last June.

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.

Blue Jays Injury Updates: Springer and Barger begin running drills, García faces live hitters for first time, working through Yesavage’s next steps

Thomas Hall — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:30:52 GMT

It appears the Toronto Blue Jays could have their leadoff hitter back in the lineup when they return to Rogers Centre for a six-game homestand, starting Friday against the Cleveland Guardians.

There’s a chance that George Springer (fractured big left toe) may be activated off the injured list prior to the series opener versus the Guardians. He’s technically eligible to return for Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, but he isn’t ready to be cleared just yet.

The 36-year-old designated hitter (or offensive player) tested his fractured toe on the field pre-game in Anaheim on Tuesday, participating in light running drills with moderate levels of intensity, as documented by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. He also took swings off a pitching machine and has been throwing in the outfield as he continues to trend in the right direction.

George Springer also hit off the machine and while he's not sure about next steps yet, he said "today was a good day, it's a good step in the right direction."

"It's obviously nowhere close to the speed that I play at … I've got to be able to do a little bit more than that,"… https://t.co/PgkBecM1ax

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 22, 2026

With an off-day on Thursday, the Blue Jays will be able to re-evaluate Springer’s status and determine his next steps ahead of this weekend’s series versus the Guardians. It’ll likely be a pain-tolerance situation from here, with the four-time All-Star providing feedback on how much discomfort he’s able to play through — specifically while hitting and running the bases.

Addison Barger (left ankle) also resumed running on Tuesday, albeit at the player development complex down in Dunedin, Fla. He had already been participating in hitting, throwing and fielding drills at the PDC, and the club feels encouraged by the progress he’s made thus far, per manager John Schneider.

At the moment, Springer appears to be a few steps ahead of Barger’s return timeline, though neither is likely too far away from rejoining the team off the IL.

There’s also a positive update regarding Yimi García (elbow surgery), who’s facing hitters during live BP for the first time this year on Wednesday at the PDC. The 35-year-old reliever had previously been limited to bullpen and side sessions. But now that he’s checked off this box, it’ll soon become much easier to map out a potential timeline for the start of his eventual rehab assignment.

Before that happens, the Blue Jays will likely want García to throw another few live BP sessions and maybe even a simulated game or two before starting his 30-day rehab clock.

Coming off Tuesday’s disappointing Triple-A rehab start, during which Trey Yesavage (shoulder impingement) allowed four runs (two earned) on two hits and four walks over 2.1 innings, Schneider said the team remains undecided on where he’ll make his next start. The plan is to have him target around 80 pitches, whether that’s back with the Blue Jays or during one final outing with the Buffalo Bisons.

But after Patrick Corbin logged another encouraging start, holding the Angels’ lineup to one run over five innings a night ago and compiling a second straight solid performance, the veteran southpaw’s recent emergence may allow the organization to exercise a bit more patience with Yesavage as he irons out some early-season mechanical issues.

The next time Cody Ponce’s vacated rotation spot will come around will be Monday’s series opener versus the Boston Red Sox — a game that’ll either be started by Corbin or Yesavage.

For those wondering about Ricky Tiedemann (elbow soreness), Schneider revealed that the 23-year-old lefty has resumed throwing bullpens at the PDC after being shut down for a few weeks in late February. From there, he’ll need to face live hitters again and likely conduct a few up-down sessions before beginning a rehab assignment.

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY

Instant Reaction: Louis Varland picks up first career save in Blue Jays’ 4-2 victory over Angels

Ryley Delaney — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:30:42 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally won a series.

On Tuesday evening, the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Angels 4-2. This was not only their first series win since the first of the season, but their first three-game winning streak since that sweep of the Athletics. Let’s dig into what happened last night!

Patrick Corbin carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, imagine that in 2026. Oswald Peraza eventually broke up that bid with a single, followed by a Nolan Schanuel single to put runners on the corners. Vaughn Grissom drove Peraza in with a sacrifice fly to give the Angels a 1-0 lead.

The Blue Jays finally got to Angels’ starter Jack Kochanowicz in the top of the sixth. After Ernie Clement struck out, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jesús Sánchez hit back-to-back singles to put runners in the corners. That set up Eloy Jiménez to hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one.

Eloy Jiménez returns the favour for the Jays, we are tied, 1-1!

🎥: Sportsnet | #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/dtKHhgOTAg

— Blue Jays Nation (@thejaysnation) April 22, 2026

This game was won in the top of the eighth. Ernie Clement hit a one-out double to put a runner in scoring position, with the Angels walking Guerrero Jr. With a lefty on the mound, the Blue Jays brought in Lenyn Sosa for Sánchez, with one of the newest Blue Jays proceeding to hit a two-run double to put the Blue Jays up 3-1. Jiménez drove in pinch-runner Davis Schneider thanks to a hard hit ground ball that found a hole.

LENYN SOSA CRANKS A BALL OFF THE WALL AND CASHES IN ERNIE AND VLADDY TO TAKE THE LEAD! 3-1 BLUE JAYS!

🎥: Sportsnet | #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/YW5ENvYMtD

— Blue Jays Nation (@thejaysnation) April 22, 2026

While the Blue Jays’ eighth inning is why they won, the game wasn’t done heading into the bottom of the ninth. In came closer Jeff Hoffman, who struck out Zach Neto to begin the inning. Mike Trout hit a soft bloop single to give the Angels a run, with Hoffman hitting the next two batters with a pitch to load the bases. After a single by Yoán Moncada, Hoffman was relieved by Louis Varland.

It took Varland just one pitch to end the game, as the Blue Jays turned a double play to give them their third consecutive win.

What an absolutely chaotic ending to Louis Varland's first career save!

🎥: Sportsnet | #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/ub3a9dVjzd

— Blue Jays Nation (@thejaysnation) April 22, 2026

Takeaways…

If this game showed us anything, it’s that Louis Varland needs to be the closer from here on out. On top of picking up his first career save, Varland still hasn’t given up an earned run in his 13 innings of work. With a 41.3 K% and 6.5 BB%, Varland has a sparkling 0.91 FIP. It was also the first time in franchise history a pitcher got a save by throwing just one pitch for two outs, and just the 11th time since the 1980s. That stat comes courtesy of Chris Black.

When he’s on, Jeff Hoffman is a great pitcher. Even now, the right-handed pitcher is rocking a 42.1 K% and 31.6 K-BB%, which is fantastic. His ERA of 7.59 is deceiving, as Hoffman has a .609 BABIP, the highest total for any pitcher with five or more innings pitched. Hoffman has a FIP of 3.33, which is more inline with how he’s pitched, and he has an expected ERA of 2.58 and expected FIP of 1.66. He shouldn’t close, but he definitely has a spot on the Blue Jays.

How about Patrick Corbin, though? The Jays were required to sign the left-handed starter after injuries decimated their rotation. His first time out wasn’t great, but in his last two outings, Corbin has given up just two earned runs over 10.2 innings pitched. Tuesday’s game saw him allow just two hits, with two walks and three strikeouts. His performance gives the Blue Jays options to build Trey Yesavage’s pitch count after a tough outing on Tuesday.

There were other positive pitching performances on Tuesday as well. Spencer Miles dropped his ERA to 3.09 thanks to a scoreless inning and a third with a strikeout and a nice barehand play. Mason Fluharty rebounded from his last outing and picked up the win, striking out one of the two batters he faced. Tyler Rogers’ has a spectacular ERA of 0.73 after three ground ball outs.

As for the Blue Jays’ bats, Ernie Clement hit his 10th double of the season and had a two-hit game. Lenyn Sosa’s fifth double drove in the game-winning run, while Daulton Varsho also had a two-hit game.

It looks like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has finally gotten some protection behind him in the batting order. He went 1-3 with a walk and a single and was followed by Jesús Sánchez, who went 1-2 with a walk. Sánchez’ pinch-hitting replacement, Sosa, hit that double. After Sánchez is Eloy Jiménez, who drove in two runs with a single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Simply put, they can’t DFA Jiménez, who is now batting .381.

The Blue Jays will hunt for their first series sweep since the first series of the season, as they play the Angels on Wednesday afternoon at 3:07 PM ET. Eric Lauer is set to start for the Blue Jays against José Soriano. The Angels’ starter is currently rocking a 0.28 ERA.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Blue Jays Gameday (April 21): Toronto has a chance to win series against the Angels

Ryley Delaney — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:15:26 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays need just one more win to match their season-high win streak.

In March, the Blue Jays began the season 3-0 thanks to a sweep of the Athletics. They have struggled ever since. After their series loss to the Diamondbacks over the weekend, they’ve lost six consecutive series dating back to that three-game sweep. The good news is that they’re starting to play like they did last season.

Sunday’s game saw the Blue Jays score eight runs in the first inning, with the first eight hitters reaching base. Their good play continued on Monday, overcoming a Los Angeles Angels lead with a home run, then beating them with small ball. And now, the Jays have a chance to win three consecutive games since the start of the season.

Starting the game for the Blue Jays is Patrick Corbin, his third start since joining the team. The first didn’t go well, with Corbin giving up four earned runs in four innings. He latest start went much better, giving up just one earned runs in five and two-thirds innings in Milwaukee.

For the Angels, Jack Kochanowicz will make his fourth start of the season. He made his debut in 2023, where the 6’7″ righty posted a 3.99 ERA and 4.62 FIP in 65.1 innings pitched. Last season was a tough one, but it appears he’s rebounded. In the four starts this season, the 25-year-old has a 3.47 ERA and 4.08 FIP in 23.1 innings pitched.

Patience is the key against Kochanowicz, as he’s struck out 18 batters (18.2 K%) and walked 15 of them (15.2 BB%). He’s only given up one home run this season.

Nathan Lukes leads off again, followed by Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The latter hit a home run in Monday’s affair. With a righty on the mound, Jesús Sánchez returns to the cleanup spot, followed by Eloy Jiménez. Daulton Varsho moves up a spot in the lineup, while Kazuma Okamoto bats seventh.

Andrés Giménez came off the bench for the first time on Monday, but he returns to the lineup in his usual eighth spot. Tyler Heineman will be available off the bench, as Brandon Valenzuela gets the start behind the plate.

Let’s set up Tuesday evening’s game!

Location: Anaheim, California

First Pitch: 9:38 PM ET

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet 1, SN 590

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Patrick Corbin: 0-0 record, 4.66 ERA, 9.2 IP, 9 SO, 2 BB

Los Angeles Angels – Jack Kochanowicz: 2-0 record, 3.47 ERA, 23.1 IP, 18 SO, 15 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:

Nathan Lukes – LF
Ernie Clement – 2B
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
Jesús Sánchez – RF
Eloy Jiménez – DH
Daulton Varsho – CF
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Andrés Giménez – SS
Brandon Valenzuela – C

Angels:

Zach Neto – SS
Mike Trout – CF
Jo Adell – RF
Jorge Soler – DH
Oswald Peraza – 3B
Nolan Schaunel – 1B
Vaughn Grissom – 2B
Logan O’Hoppe – C
Bryce Teodosio – LF

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage struggles with command in fourth rehab outing

Ryley Delaney — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:30:19 GMT

Trey Yesavage made his fourth and likely final rehab outing on Tuesday, and it didn’t go great.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ right-handed pitcher got his first out early, as Petey Halpin flew out on the third pitch of the game. Yesavage then walked top prospect Travis Bazzana on seven pitches. Yesavage got Kahill Watson to chase a splitter well below the zone for his first strikeout of the start.

It looked as if Yesavage was about to get out of the inning thanks to a ground ball from Nolan Jones, but Yesavage made a throwing error on the toss to the first baseman. That resulted in a run coming in and Jones going to third base. Cooper Ingle drove in Jones to make it 2-0, then Yesavage got out of the inning with a pop out.

The 22-year-old’s best inning was the second inning. Yesavage got Milan Tolentino to fly out softly for the first out. Next, he got Kody Huff to chase a 87.7 mph slider just below the zone for his second strikeout. The third out of the inning came courtesy of a lineout on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Yesavage’s worst inning was the third. Halpin hit a lead-off double, then Yesavage walked Bazzana a second time. Next up, Yesavage induced a fly out off the bat of Watson, but then walked Jones to load the bases, his third walk of the game. Yesavage’s final batter drew a walk to score a run, and Yesavage was taken out of the game. Brendan Cellucci came in to replace Yesavage, getting a flyout that scored a fourth run.

Overall, Yesavage had a line of 2.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. His command eluded him in the third inning, as he threw 33 pitches in the third inning before being replaced. In total, Yesavage threw 64 pitches, with only 37 of them being for strikes.

Diving deeper into his outing, Yesavage’s fastball averaged 94.3 mph, a tick down from his average last season. Yesavage’s fastball topped out at 95.8 mph, generating two whiffs on 10 total swings. The 22-year-old’s splitter also had a 20 whiff%, getting one whiff on five total swings. Of the three pitches, his slider was his best weapon, generating three swings on nine total swings.

Despite his struggles in this game, this appears to be Yesavage’s final rehab outing in the minor leagues. When Yesavage returns, the Blue Jays will need him to be better than what he showed in the four rehab games he appeared in. That said, getting a starter back will be huge for them, especially with Eric Lauer’s struggles.

José Berríos starts for the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.