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Patrick Corbin steadied the Blue Jays’ rotation early before fading as the season went on

Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

Oct 27, 2026, 06:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 26, 2026, 22:39 EDT

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The Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation seemed like a part of the roster management didn’t have to worry about heading into the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, once the season was set to get underway, the Blue Jays had already placed José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage on the 15-day injured list. Cody Ponce suffered a season-ending injury in his first start on March 30, which ultimately led to the Blue Jays signing Patrick Corbin to a one-year, $1-million contract on April 3.

How the year went

After being signed, Corbin made one start in Single-A Dunedin before being recalled to the Blue Jays on April 7. Three days later, Corbin made his Blue Jays debut and turned in a pitching line of 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K during a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Over his next three starts to close out April, Corbin impressed, allowing only four earned runs across 15.1 innings and striking out 13 during that span. Corbin finished April with a 3.72 ERA, and even as Yesavage returned to the rotation, Max Scherzer suffered an injury that kept Corbin starting.

During May, Corbin got even better and was one of the reasons the Blue Jays opted to cut ties with left-hander Eric Lauer. Across six starts, Corbin went 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Over his 30 innings, Corbin struck out 20 batters, and on May 23 during a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the veteran left-hander did something not many people saw coming.

Squaring off against Pirates ace and 2025 National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, Corbin went pitch for pitch with the right-hander. Corbin turned in a pitching line of 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, and picked up the victory as the Blue Jays’ offence got to Skenes for four runs across five frames.

In June, the wheels started to fall off for Corbin, as across five outings, the 37-year-old went 0-3 with an 8.69 ERA and a 2.03 WHIP. Corbin allowed 19 runs on 30 hits across 19.2 innings, and on June 30, it was announced that he would be shifted from the rotation to the bullpen.

On July 1, Corbin picked up the save after working five innings and allowing three runs during a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets, but over his next three appearances, he allowed seven earned runs across six innings.

On July 23, two days after an outing against the Tampa Bay Rays in which Corbin allowed four earned runs over 2.1 innings, he was placed on the 15-day IL with a left teres major strain, an injury that ultimately cost him the remainder of the season.

A pending free agent following the completion of the World Series, Corbin won’t likely be back in Toronto following his rough finish to the campaign. In total, Corbin made 19 appearances (15 starts) and went 3-4 with a 5.51 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. Corbin struck out 63 batters across 80 innings and allowed opponents to hit .302 during that span.

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