Ryan Yarbrough has joined the Toronto Blue Jays in the Bronx. 
The 32-year-old reliever, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and cash considerations ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s trade deadline, has been activated to the club&#8217;s 26-man roster ahead of Friday&#8217;s series opener against the New York Yankees. He will wear No. 35, which was last worn by Jay Jackson &#8212; who&#8217;s currently a free agent after being released by the Minnesota Twins.
Yarbrough joins a taxed pitching staff, albeit one coming off a rest day, but used 14 pitchers in the four games &#8212; including Monday&#8217;s double-header &#8212; versus the Baltimore Orioles.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ROSTER MOVE:
🔹 LHP Ryan Yarbrough has reported to the team and will be active for tonight’s game <a href="https://t.co/qOJ65mjR0f">pic.twitter.com/qOJ65mjR0f</a>
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1819425475149873590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
Los Angeles signed Yarbrough to a one-year, $3.9-million contract last off-season. In 32 relief appearances prior to the trade, the left-hander pitched to a 3.74 ERA and 5.17 FIP with 39 strikeouts in 67.1 innings, worth minus-0.4 fWAR. He&#8217;s posted career worsts with his strikeout (13.9 per cent) and walk rates (8.9 per cent), accounting for just a five per cent K-BB rate difference &#8212; a 9.1-per-cent decline from 2023.
It remains unclear how the Blue Jays will utilize the newest addition to their pitching staff, but he&#8217;ll likely provide length in whatever role he serves, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5672583/2024/07/31/blue-jays-trade-deadline-acquisition-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&#8217;s Kaitlyn McGrath</a> reports. He made nine starts a season ago and repeatedly served as an opener in his five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018-22.
Pitching in left-on-left matchups has been a major strength for Yarbrough, who owns a 2.20 ERA and 3.86 FIP with a 13.2-per-cent K-BB rate difference in 28.2 innings this season. Additionally, left-handed opponents have slashed .132/.194/.231 against him, recording only three extra-base hits &#8212; all home runs.
That&#8217;s a significant improvement compared to last season, which was split between the Kansas City Royals and Dodgers, resulting in a 6.39 ERA, 4.44 FIP and .280/.321/.450 opponents slash line in 25.1 innings versus lefties.
Yarbrough has primarily relied on a three-pitch mix against southpaws in 2024, using a low-70s curveball &#8212; that&#8217;s produced a whiff rate of nearly 50 per cent in those matchups &#8212; and a mid-80s sinker and four-seamer while occasionally mixing in a low-80s cutter and high-70s changeup.
The Blue Jays should already be pretty familiar with the veteran lefty from his days as a Ray, where he proved to be a nuisance on countless occasions &#8212; both as a starter and reliever.

Ryan Yarbrough has joined the Toronto Blue Jays in the Bronx. 

The 32-year-old reliever, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and cash considerations ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, has been activated to the club's 26-man roster ahead of Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees. He will wear No. 35, which was last worn by Jay Jackson -- who's currently a free agent after being released by the Minnesota Twins.

Yarbrough joins a taxed pitching staff, albeit one coming off a rest day, but used 14 pitchers in the four games -- including Monday's double-header -- versus the Baltimore Orioles.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ROSTER MOVE:
🔹 LHP Ryan Yarbrough has reported to the team and will be active for tonight’s game <a href="https://t.co/qOJ65mjR0f">pic.twitter.com/qOJ65mjR0f</a>

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1819425475149873590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
Los Angeles signed Yarbrough to a one-year, $3.9-million contract last off-season. In 32 relief appearances prior to the trade, the left-hander pitched to a 3.74 ERA and 5.17 FIP with 39 strikeouts in 67.1 innings, worth minus-0.4 fWAR. He's posted career worsts with his strikeout (13.9 per cent) and walk rates (8.9 per cent), accounting for just a five per cent K-BB rate difference -- a 9.1-per-cent decline from 2023.

It remains unclear how the Blue Jays will utilize the newest addition to their pitching staff, but he'll likely provide length in whatever role he serves, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5672583/2024/07/31/blue-jays-trade-deadline-acquisition-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath</a> reports. He made nine starts a season ago and repeatedly served as an opener in his five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018-22.

Pitching in left-on-left matchups has been a major strength for Yarbrough, who owns a 2.20 ERA and 3.86 FIP with a 13.2-per-cent K-BB rate difference in 28.2 innings this season. Additionally, left-handed opponents have slashed .132/.194/.231 against him, recording only three extra-base hits -- all home runs.

That's a significant improvement compared to last season, which was split between the Kansas City Royals and Dodgers, resulting in a 6.39 ERA, 4.44 FIP and .280/.321/.450 opponents slash line in 25.1 innings versus lefties.

Yarbrough has primarily relied on a three-pitch mix against southpaws in 2024, using a low-70s curveball -- that's produced a whiff rate of nearly 50 per cent in those matchups -- and a mid-80s sinker and four-seamer while occasionally mixing in a low-80s cutter and high-70s changeup.

The Blue Jays should already be pretty familiar with the veteran lefty from his days as a Ray, where he proved to be a nuisance on countless occasions -- both as a starter and reliever.

Ryan Yarbrough activated to Blue Jays’ roster, available to pitch versus Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw (3) is out at first on a sacrifice bunt against Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) during the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

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