Good news for Brendon Little, who didn’t need imaging after leaving last night’s game early with a left lat cramp. He could even pitch today per John Schneider.
Blue Jays’ Brendon Little left Friday’s game with a lat cramp, could pitch Saturday
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025, 14:30 EDTUpdated: Mar 29, 2025, 14:18 EDT
There’s some good news on the injury front for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After striking out two batters in Friday’s game, left-handed reliever Brendon Little left the game with an apparent injury. Well, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, Little left with a left lat cramp and could pitch on Saturday if he’s needed.
That is, without question, the best-case scenario for the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old became a regular with the Blue Jays in June of last season, finishing with a 3.74 ERA and a 4.90 FIP in 45.2 innings pitched. Although his 18.7 K% wasn’t high, Little’s 70.9 ground ball percentage was the third highest in the league.
Through two-thirds of an inning pitched so far this season, Little has struck out every batter he’s faced, which gives him a -3.17 FIP and a 0 ERA. It’s obviously a small sample size, but he had a solid Spring Training as well, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 2.98 FIP in eight innings pitched.
It’s good to know that if the Blue Jays need him on Saturday, he’s available to pitch. But what happens if he or fellow left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady goes down with an injury at some point this season? Knock on wood that doesn’t happen; however, Mason Fluharty could be the first lefty called up from Triple-A Buffalo.
Last season with the Bisons, he had a 3.63 ERA and a 4.15 FIP in 67 innings pitched with a 27.4 K% and a 9 BB% despite sitting around 90 mph with his cutter he uses instead of a fastball. The Blue Jays’ fifth-round pick in 2022 was one of the last players cut in Spring Training, as he had a 1.29 ERA and a 2.30 FIP in seven innings pitched with a 40.7 K% and a 3.7 BB%.
It’s not a matter of if but when Fluharty will be called up this season. Thankfully, it looks like the Blue Jays don’t have to make that decision yet as Brendon Little is good to go.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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