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Daulton Varsho is feeling like himself again as he works his way back to Blue Jays
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Photo credit: Bisons PR
Thomas Hall
Apr 25, 2025, 11:30 EDTUpdated: Apr 25, 2025, 11:39 EDT
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After beginning this season on the injured list, outfielder Daulton Varsho — who underwent right shoulder surgery last fall — is back to looking like himself again, both in the field and at the plate.
Varsho began a single-A rehab assignment with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Apr. 19, playing two games at that level and going 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts, before he arrived in Buffalo earlier this week to continue rehabbing with the Bisons. Through three games at triple-A, the 28-year-old has closely resembled the player he was prior to injuring his shoulder on a diving play last September.
That’s been especially true of his defence. Case in point, here’s the diving play he made during the eighth inning of Thursday’s contest against the Rochester Red Wings.
And that was the second of two impressive catches on the night from the Toronto Blue Jays’ centre-fielder.
Witnessing Varsho, who made his second consecutive start in centre field a night ago, execute these types of defensive plays is probably a strong indication of how he’s feeling physically. If you’re the Toronto Blue Jays, this is exactly the hurdle you want to see him clear before he returns to the majors.
At the plate, the left-handed-hitting outfielder went 1-for-4 with a sac-fly in the fourth inning during the Bisons’ 8-1 win over the Red Wings. Of the four balls he put in play, two produced an exit velocity of at least 95 m.p.h., with his run-scoring flyout leading the way at 102.1.
Varsho also drove in a run as part of a 1-for-4 performance during Wednesday’s affair.
“It feels like I’m a baseball player again,” Varsho told Brian Frank of the Herd Chronicles. “It’s one of those things where you go through the rehab process – it’s the first time for me really going through it. It’s just really tough because you kind of come here and you’re like alright, now I’m a baseball player again. You’re doing normal things, you’re taking BP, you’re with the team, so it’s honestly really fun for me to just be myself again.”
Despite a strong offensive showing that included six extra-base hits — including four home runs — in 12 exhibition games, the 2024 Gold Glove winner stayed behind in Dunedin as the rest of the Blue Jays roster headed north following spring training. The goal was to have him continue his throwing progression to eliminate any risk of reaggravation upon returning to the field.
Varsho spent most of his time testing the strength and stability of his right shoulder at the organization’s player development complex in Florida, allowing him to work closely with former major league centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier. He staggered his progression, eventually throwing from 200 feet before heading out on a rehab assignment.
“It was tough for me for a couple days,” Varsho said. “Just kind of really reflected on understanding what I need to do and kind of continue to improve my process. Obviously being down there and just getting my arm ready was probably the best thing for me. It was frustrating, but you know, it’s just kind of the decision that they made and now I’m able to be back probably a little bit quicker than I would have been if I was there.”
Initially, the plan for Varsho was to play five to six games with the Bisons this week before potentially rejoining the Blue Jays during next week’s homestand against the Boston Red Sox. However, there’s a chance he could meet the team in the Bronx this weekend, as manager John Schneider told reporters Wednesday, as relayed by Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling.
Toronto will begin a pivotal three-game series versus the New York Yankees on Friday, where the team will aim to snap its five-game losing streak after being swept by the Houston Astros earlier this week.

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