Jameson Taillon (right forearm tendinitis) is on track to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting rotation next week, but it likely won’t be on the upcoming road trip to Cleveland.

The 34-year-old righty returned to Toronto on Saturday after tossing 3.1 innings and 48 pitches (34 strikes) for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, allowing four runs (all earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out a pair. He’s scheduled to throw a side session on Tuesday, and the team will decide where he’ll fit in from there.

In all likelihood, Taillon’s return will arrive after the three-game series versus the Guardians, which is tentatively slated to feature Spencer Arrighetti, Dylan Cease and José Soriano in that order. That means the former Chicago Cubs hurler will probably start Friday’s series opener in Kansas City, kicking off the three-game set against the Royals and giving him an entire week between starts.

Considering Taillon threw fewer than 50 pitches in his most recent outing, the Blue Jays will need to continue building him up against major-league hitters, likely targeting around 70 pitches when he next takes the mound.

The benefit to pushing Taillon’s return to the Royals series is that it ensures the club’s top two pitchers (Cease and Soriano) will face the Guardians, who, entering Saturday’s slate, sit 2.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays for the final AL wild-card seed. So it was an easy call to make for manager John Schneider.

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