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Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage should be in the big leagues after his next rehab start
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Apr 13, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 13, 2026, 09:15 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ starting pitching has fallen into dire straits. 
Kevin Gausman has been excellent so far in 2026, and Dylan Cease has come as advertised. Things have gotten murky beyond them due to all the team’s injuries. Wins are slipping away while Trey Yesavage rehabs in the minor leagues, and they need him back now before things get even worse.  
Case in point: The Blue Jays’ pitching was downright horrendous in a series loss to the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. 
Newly signed Patrick Corbin lasted just four innings on Friday, allowing four earned runs in a 10-4 win, and he was the best pitcher this weekend. Eric Lauer, still labouring from the flu, got shelled for seven runs in Saturday’s loss. Max Scherzer didn’t fare much better on Sunday as the Twins pounded him for eight runs over 2 1/3 innings. 
Lauer and Scherzer didn’t give the Blue Jays a chance to win, especially considering the team’s offensive struggles amid all its injuries. Lauer ate some innings, but Scherzer’s truncated performance necessitated the use of six relievers in a non-competitive game that’s only being saved because there is an off-day today. 
The long and the short of it is that the Blue Jays need reinforcements right now, and Yesavage is first in line. 
The 22-year-old is scheduled for one more rehab start as he works back from shoulder fatigue. Much has been said of the Blue Jays’ intentions to slow-play Yesavage after the most intense season of his professional career. While they might want him to make another start in the minor leagues, his next appearance should probably be in MLB if he’s healthy. 
Three or four quality innings from Yesavage on the next turn through the rotation would be a blessing. He would presumably take Corbin’s spot, shifting him into a long relief role behind Lauer or Scherzer if they get chased early in their next outings. This would ensure the team’s core relievers aren’t being exhausted. 
What the Blue Jays need more than anything is a shot in the arm. Alejandro Kirk, Cody Ponce, and George Springer—they’ve already endured a season’s worth of injuries across the first two weeks of the season. Getting someone back for a change could go a long way for morale, especially if someone is the extremely talented Yesavage. 
Would rushing Yesavage back out of necessity be fair or responsible? Probably not. But this competitive window won’t stay open forever, and this team is incredibly short-handed and struggling to stay afloat. The trio of Corbin, Lauer, and 41-year-old Max Scherzer is simply untenable right now. It wouldn’t be surprising if all three are out of the Blue Jays’ rotation by the end of the season. 
If Yesavage is healthy—and that’s a big “if”—then his next start should be for the Blue Jays this week. This team needs him back too desperately to slow-play things any longer. 

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