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Blue Jays: Gage Stanifer fans eight, Lázaro Estrada makes rehab start with Bisons
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Photo credit: © Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Jun 3, 2026, 10:30 EDTUpdated: Jun 3, 2026, 10:26 EDT
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On Tuesday night, three pitchers within the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization made starts in the minor leagues to varying degrees of success. 
Lázaro Estrada, who is currently in the midst of a rehab assignment, is working his way back from a right shoulder impingement that forced him to the injured list on April 5. Estrada made his first start with Triple-A Buffalo after making one on May 28 with Single-A Dunedin. 
Facing the Worcester Red Sox, Estrada turned in a strong pitching line of 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. Estrada was able to throw 42 pitches, four more than the 38 Estrada tossed in his first rehab outing. While the walks are a concern, the zero in the hit column and ability to work out of trouble could give the Blue Jays’ management the reason to bring Estrada back to the big leagues sooner rather than later. 
Estrada made his MLB debut last season on July 5, 2025, against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander tossed four innings, allowing only one run, in which was a debut that caught the attention of many Blue Jays fans. Estrada ended up making one more appearance towards the end of July before spending the remainder of the campaign with the Bisons. 
The right-hander’s lone appearance in the majors this season came on April 4 during a 6-3 loss against the Chicago White Sox. Estrada tossed four scoreless frames, working as the bulk-guy behind Mason Fluharty, who opened the contest. Estrada walked two and struck out three and could force a return to a Blue Jays’ bullpen that has been overworked through the season’s opening two-plus months. 
Gage Stanifer is really starting to find his stride in Double-A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. After a month of May in which Stanifer went 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, the right-hander continued the good run he’s been on during his first June outing. 
The 22-year-old squared off with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Double-A team, the Altoona Curve. Stanifer posted a pitching line of 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, the second-most strikeouts he has recorded in a game this season for the prized right-hander. At the end of April, Stanifer held a 7.71 ERA, and following his outing on Tuesday, it has dropped to 4.36. Stanifer’s record sits at 2-3  and he holds a 1.50 WHIP this year while recording 54 strikeouts over his 43.1 innings. 
After Trey Yesavage’s recent graduation from the Blue Jays’ top 30 prospect list, Stanifer moved up his ranking to number five. If Stanifer continues to flash this level of success at the Double-A level, a promotion to Triple-A before the 2026 season can’t be ruled out as the Blue Jays’ brass continues to test their 2022 19th-round draft pick. 
In more concerning news, Blue Jays’ number 13th ranked prospect Silvano Hechavarria once again struggled in Single-A with Dunedin. After opening the season on the injured list with High-A Vancouver, Hechavarria was sent to Dunedin to get some work in before heading back to Vancouver. 
The Daytona Tortugas tagged Hechavarria on Tuesday night in his sixth start with the D-Jays. The right-hander finished the evening with a pitching line of 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Last night’s start followed an outing in which Hechavarria lasted only 1.2 innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on two hits and three walks.
Through six starts, the results have mostly been concerning. The 23-year-old now holds an 0-3 record, a 10.93 ERA and a WHIP of 2.00 while striking out 14 over 14 innings. Last season, Hechavarria dominated in his first taste of professional baseball at the Single-A level. Over 11 games (seven starts), the now 23-year-old went 1-2 with a 1.90 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, holding opposing teams to an average of .209 against. 
Hechavarria’s work earned him a call-up to Vancouver, where his success continued across 22.1 innings. In four starts, Hechavarria continued to impress, going 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. While the results haven’t been close to last year’s level, the hope is that Hechavarria can work his way back to form as he gets further removed from his early-season injury. 
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