Blue Jays' Alan Roden: Flashes on-base skills Sunday
Rotowire
Roden went 2-for-2 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.
Getting the start in left field and hitting fifth in a lineup with no projected Opening Day starters, Roden made a quick impact by lacing a two-bagger off Garrett Crochet to lead off the second inning. Roden would likely need an injury or two in the Blue Jays' outfield to begin the year on the 26-man roster, but the 25-year-old appears ready to make his big-league debut after slashing .314/.406/.510 over 70 games for Triple-A Buffalo in 2024.
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Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman: Still building up
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Gausman threw live batting practice Sunday and will do one more such session before making his first spring start, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Gausman is seemingly a little behind the rest of the Jays starters, as Easton Lucas is currently working in Gausman's spot in the Jays' Grapefruit League rotation. It sounds like Gausman is on track to potentially make his first spring start next week. He showed up to camp intentionally carrying more weight because he says he loses weight throughout the MLB season and wanted to better hold up over the full season. In 2024, he had his lowest strikeout rate (21.4 percent) since 2018 and his highest walk rate (7.4 percent) since 2017.
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Blue Jays' Addison Barger: Day-to-day with swollen hand
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Barger (hand) will try to hit Monday and is considered day-to-day, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Per manager John Schneider, Barger's right hand is swollen and he had a blood blister after getting hit by a Garrett Crochet pitch Sunday. The Jays game was rained out Monday, but Barger wasn't in the lineup, although it sounds like he'll get back in there once the swelling in his hand goes down. Barger showed up to camp in great shape and has intriguing tools (plus bat speed, above-average foot speed) if he can earn a role either in the outfield or at third base.
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Blue Jays' Bowden Francis: Start rained out Monday
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Francis, whose scheduled start Monday against the Tigers was rained out, will follow Max Scherzer in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The Jays will still get Francis the same amount of work, he'll just be pitching a day later and coming in after Scherzer. Francis would seem to be locked in as Toronto's fifth starter in 2025 following a surprise 2024 season in which he logged a 2.92 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 77 innings over 13 starts after moving from the bullpen to the rotation.
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Blue Jays' Addison Barger: X-rays return negative
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Barger was confirmed to have suffered a bruised right hand after X-rays came back negative Sunday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Barger exited Sunday's spring game with the injury after being struck by a pitch during the opening frame, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury. The 25-year-old will be held out of the lineup for a day or two but shouldn't end up missing much time.
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Blue Jays' Addison Barger: Pulled with right hand injury
Rotowire
Barger was removed from Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Boston due to a right hand contusion.
Barger suffered the injury when he was hit by a Garrett Crochet pitch in the first inning. The initial diagnosis of a contusion provides optimism that the 25-year-old isn't dealing with a major issue, though the Blue Jays will likely want to further evaluate the injury. Barger is expected to use spring training to make a case for playing time with the Blue Jays, and he could eventually push Ernie Clement for a starting role at third base if he plays well early on.
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Blue Jays' Orelvis Martinez: Goes yard in spring opener
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Martinez went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
Hitting ninth as the DH, Martinez launched a fourth-inning offering from Brandon Leibrandt over the fence in right-center field. Martinez could win a spot on the Opening Day roster with a big camp and even take over the starting job at third base, but it's his glovework and not his bat that will determine how quickly he's entrusted with those duties. The fact that he was used as the DH in the Blue Jays' spring opener, while Ernie Clement got the start at the hot corner, is a sign of how much the 23-year-old slugger needs to do on the defensive side to earn that opportunity.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Quick start to spring
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Bichette went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
The 26-year-old shortstop is coming off the worst season of his career, and with free agency looming next winter, Bichette has every incentive to rebound. He hit leadoff Saturday, but George Springer is expected to handle those duties come Opening Day, with Bichette likely to hit second ahead of Vladimir Guerrero and Anthony Santander. Bichette was one of the most reliable hitters in the majors prior to last year's collapse, slashing .298/.339/.476 from 2021-23 while averaging 24.3 homers, 89.3 RBI, 93.7 runs and 14.3 steals a season.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Gets start in center field Saturday
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Loperfido went 1-for-2 with a double in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
More importantly, the 25-year-old got the start in center field, a spot the Blue Jays will likely need to fill for the first week or two of the season while Daulton Varsho completes his recovery from shoulder surgery. Loperfido, acquired from the Astros last year in the Yusei Kikuchi trade, slashed just .197/.236/.343 over 144 plate appearances for Toronto in 2024, but his defensive versatility in the outfield and 20-20 upside if he puts everything together appear to make him the early favorite to be Varsho's understudy. Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw also figure to get looks in center field during spring training.
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Blue Jays' Ryan Burr: Dealing with shoulder issue
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Burr has been managing shoulder tendinitis and "backed off" throwing for a few days, though he's playing catch Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Burr may be able to build back up quickly and doesn't seem to be at risk of missing time to start the regular season. The veteran reliever is slated for a middle-relief role in Toronto's bullpen for the coming campaign after posting a 4.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB over 32.2 innings in 34 games during the 2024 season.
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Blue Jays' Ernie Clement: Atop depth chart at third base
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Clement is the favorite to begin the season as the Blue Jays' starting third baseman, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Toronto's affinity for utility players likely means Clement won't stay at the hot corner, however -- the 28-year-old saw 41 games at shortstop last season in addition to 96 at third base, and he has prior experience at second base and in left field as well. Clement slashed a passable .263/.284/.408 in 2024 with 12 homers and 12 steals over 452 plate appearances, but he'll be pushed for playing time by Will Wagner, Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger and others as the Jays look for more offense from their lineup.
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Blue Jays' Orelvis Martinez: In mix for third-base job
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Martinez will get a real chance in camp to win a spot on the 26-man roster and could push for the starting job at third base, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Ernie Clement is the nominal favorite to be in the Opening Day lineup at the hot corner, but Martinez is the player that offers the most upside at the position for the Blue Jays. The 23-year-old is coming off a bumpy 2024 campaign that included an 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drugs policy, but over 74 games at Triple-A Buffalo he slashed .267/.346/.523 with 17 homers. Martinez's most likely route to the Opening Day roster is on the bench, bouncing between second base and third base in a short-side platoon role, but the young slugger could quickly force his way into a more prominent spot if he begins flashing his power in the majors and can provide at least adequate defense at third.
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Blue Jays' Ricky Tiedemann: Aiming for late 2025 return
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Tiedemann (elbow) hopes to be ready to pitch in games before the end of the 2025 season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Tiedemann underwent Tommy John surgery in late July of last year, so it's not a guarantee he'll be game-ready at any point this year. If he is, it's almost surely not going to come at the major-league level -- however, a minor-league stint late in 2025 would position the southpaw for a normal offseason next winter before he competes for a role on the 2026 Blue Jays. Tiedemann has some of the best pure stuff outside of the majors but has had a tough time staying healthy, with his career high of 78.2 innings coming back in 2022.
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Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Throws off mound
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Swanson (forearm) threw 10 pitches off a mound Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Swanson is a little behind at the beginning of camp due to right forearm fatigue. He was never totally shut down though, and now that he's progressed to mound work, he could build up quickly. Swanson is on track to be ready for Opening Day, and while he's coming off a rough 2024 campaign, the right-hander is out of minor-league options and should have a spot in the Blue Jays' big-league bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Ryan Yarbrough: Returns to Toronto on MiLB deal
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The Blue Jays signed Yarbrough to a minor-league contract Thursday with an invite to spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Yarbrough made his first appearances with the Blue Jays in August after being dealt by the Dodgers in late July. With Toronto, he recorded a 2.01 ERA across 31.1 innings in 12 games. The southpaw was used out of the bullpen in all 12 of his appearances and will presumably fill a piggyback or long-relief role if he gets onto the MLB roster this year.
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Blue Jays' Adam Macko: Undergoes knee surgery
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Macko underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Macko suffered the injury early on in camp and an operation had been expected. Blue Jays manager John Schneider was not able to offer a timetable for the lefty's return, but Macko would seem likely to miss at least the first month or so of the season. Once recovered, Macko is likely headed to Triple-A Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' George Springer: Could see time in left field
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Manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Springer might see some playing time in left field this season, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Springer has played just three innings in left field at the major-league level and those came back in 2018. However, like Springer, Anthony Santander has also primarily been a right fielder in his career, so Springer could accommodate him some days by shifting to left. Schneider also noted that Springer is a prime candidate to bat leadoff in 2025, which is where he's spent the overwhelming majority of his time with Toronto.
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Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: No extension before deadline
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The Blue Jays and Guerrero were unable to reach a contract extension prior to Guerrero's Feb. 18 deadline, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Slated for free agency after the upcoming season, Guerrero does not want to discuss a long-term deal during spring training or the regular season, thus the self-imposed deadline of Feb. 18, which is the day of the Blue Jays' first full-squad workout. When asked whether the two sides came close to a contract extension, Guerrero simply said, "no," adding that while he is still willing to discuss a deal with the Blue Jays after the season, they will now have to compete with 29 other teams. Guerrero will earn $28.5 million in his walk year.
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Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman: Sporting 'sturdier' build for 2025
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Gausman looks "sturdier" in spring training after the right-hander deliberately put on added weight over the offseason, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. "I've never really pitched an entire season at over 200 pounds, but I think that might be a possibility for me this year," Gausman said. "We'll see what happens. I usually always lose a good amount of weight during the season, so that's why I try to gain as much as I can, knowing I'll lose some of it."
Gausman is listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds on the Blue Jays' official roster, and he's hopeful that by bulking up during the offseason through both his diet and strength training, he'll be able to maintain that weight over the course of the long season. The 34-year-old righty is also optimistic that a sturdier build will boost his odds of staying healthy and having something closer to a normal spring training in 2025. While he didn't go on the injured list at any point in 2024, a bout with shoulder fatigue early in camp slowed his ramp-up process and may have played a part in the steep drop in both his ERA (3.83) and strikeout rate (21.4 percent) compared to his first two seasons in Toronto (3.25 ERA, 29.7 K%).
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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Close to throwing off mound
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Manoah (elbow) said Monday that he's scheduled to begin throwing off a mound in a couple weeks, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Manoah underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure last June to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow. The right-hander is hopeful to face hitters by June, begin a rehab assignment in July and be available as an option for the Blue Jays in August. In order to meet his goals, Manoah will have to avoid any bumps in the road in his recovery, which isn't always a guarantee coming back from UCL surgery.
