According to Yordano Carmona, the Blue Jays are calling up Lazaro Estrada from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
There are two possible reasons this could be happening. The first and worst case scenario is that Max Scherzer will miss his next start. After his June 30th start, it was reported by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson that Scherzer’s thumb felt good. He’s expected to start Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Estrada last pitched on June. 29, so the starts lineup.
The more optimistic outlook is that the Blue Jays need fresh arms. Although the Blue Jays swept the New York Yankees in a four-game series, it’s pretty evident that the bullpen is gassed. There are no off-days on the horizon either, as they’ll play a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, before heading to Chicago to face the White Sox for a three-game series. They’ll finally get an off-day on Thursday. If I had to guess, it’s the latter option. With the gassed bullpen and Eric Lauer on the mound Friday, the Blue Jays may need length out of the pen. This spot would usually go to Paxton Schultz, but he’s currently on the Injured List.
Estrada, 26, has pitched exclusively as a starter this season, making 15 starts for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In those 15 starts, Estrada has a 4.75 ERA and a 4.20 FIP in 60.2 innings pitched, with a 25.3 K% and an 8 BB%. It’s been a rapid ascent for the right-handed pitcher, as he didn’t pitch regularly in High-A until the 2024 season.
The Cuban features a fastball that averages a tick under 93 mph, which is paired with an above-average slider and splitter. Estrada’s curveball, which has dropped in usage over the years, sits in the mid-70s and has a ton of spin. He ranked as Blue Jays Nation’s 34th-best prospect heading into the season and finally made it to MLB Pipeline’s top 30 ranking, ranking 25th. Estrada isn’t on the 40-man roster, meaning the Blue Jays will either need to designate someone for assignment or place them on the 60-day Injured List. Their three players on the 15-day Injured List are Anthony Santander, Daulton Varsho, and Bowden Francis. All are relatively close to returning and likely won’t be the corresponding move to get Estrada on the roster.
As for the 26-man roster, the simple move, if it is indeed for Scherzer, is putting the 40-year-old on the Injured List and replacing him with Estrada. If it’s to add a fresh arm, the Jays have four relievers with options on the roster: Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Nick Sandlin, and Justin Bruihl. The most obvious move here is to option Bruihl, as he pitched in Thursday’s game. The other option is Fisher, but he’s been lights out in the bullpen.
We’ll see what happens when the move is official, but the Blue Jays’ depth in Buffalo has continued to pay off.
