It’s Trey Day as soon as once more, as Yesavage able to rejoin Blue Jays vs Red Sox

TORONTO — First, Trey Yesavage struck out 9 batters over 5 innings of one-run ball throughout an electrical big-league debut. In his subsequent begin, he helped the Toronto Blue Jays clinch a post-season berth. The subsequent day trip, he set them as much as win the American League East, which they did in Game 162. 

Then his outings simply bought larger and higher from there — tearing by the New York Yankees in an 11-strikeout division sequence gem; serving to fend off elimination versus the Seattle Mariners within the ALCS; pitching the Blue Jays to a pair of World Series wins, together with a 12-strikeout, seven-inning masterpiece in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5.

Now, the 22-year-old right-hander’s 2026 season, in the end, begins when he’s activated from the injured record to begin in opposition to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night time (7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+). 

After a whirlwind 2025, which started in low-A and led to an epic Fall Classic, Yesavage wants solely to delve into the grind, somewhat than discover his approach amid the frenetic stakes of a meteoric rise.

“He’s a mature kid,” mentioned pitching coach Pete Walker. “He came in and exceeded our expectations, probably everybody’s initially. We’ve got to make sure he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself, like he has to be that guy every time out there. It’s virtually impossible to do that over a career, right? So just getting him comfortable with himself again, getting in a good routine, pounding the strike zone, trusting in his stuff and the results will come.”

Just like final September, when the Blue Jays sought a lift from Yesavage forward of the post-season, they as soon as once more want outcomes from him, solely this time for various causes. At 12-16 following Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Red Sox, they’re in search of to stack sequence wins and pull out from a wild, injury-filled opening month, with Max Scherzer turning into the thirteenth participant to hit the injured record.

Yesavage, who reported to spring coaching with a shoulder impingement that delayed his buildup, is the primary of the sidelined Blue Jays to be activated, after an absence “I think I’ve handled well.”

“My mindset was kind of like how I was in the minors, play so they have to bring you up here and whatnot,” he mentioned over the weekend. “So just still having that competitive nature and being able to prove that I should be here. The toughest part is it’s kind of slow. I wish I could have been up here sooner.”

The delayed begin ought to give the Blue Jays extra flexibility in how they deal with Yesavage, who went from 93.1 innings with East Carolina in 2024 earlier than the Blue Jays picked him twentieth total, to 139.2 frames throughout 5 ranges, together with the peak-stress outings of the playoffs.

How rather more they purpose so as to add on this 12 months can be a shifting goal, one helped out by a month on the sidelines. 

“He had a lot of experience in a short amount of time, but doesn’t have a history of long seasons, yet,” defined Walker. “So we’re going to watch him closely, monitor him. If he needs a break at some point, we’ll give it to him. But for the most part, right now we’re going to let him go. He’s going to be a big part of this rotation and we’re really excited to have him here.”

The Blue Jays mentioned giving Yesavage yet another rehab begin after his final outing with triple-A Buffalo solely lasted 64 pitches over 2.1 innings — roughly 10 pitches fewer than anticipated — however in the end determined to take the roughly 80 pitches he’ll be obtainable for on Tuesday.

Yesavage mentioned, regardless of an ugly-looking pitching line, he felt prepared after his final outing, seeing the way in which his “heater is playing in the zone.”

“My off-speed works off my heater,” he continued. “If I’m going to miss with my off-speeds, make them competitive misses, not like yanking the slider, miss set up with the splitter. It’s pounding the heater and being competitive with the off-speed.”

That’s what the Blue Jays noticed, too, as he was holding his fastball velocity at 94-95 m.p.h. with enhancing pitchability. 

“Can’t wait to see him — it’s been a long time,” mentioned Walker. “He’s worked hard this spring. We built him up the right way and (are) excited to get him back out there. He’s 100 per cent healthy. He’s got to get that feel back from a pitching standpoint, so it’ll be good to get him out there and get him in a normal routine. We can work together in our bullpen sessions and get him on track.”

Perhaps serving to the Blue Jays do the identical alongside the way in which.

Welcome to the membership: When John Schneider took over as interim supervisor after the firing of Charlie Montoyo on July 13, 2022, a few of his counterparts across the majors and “especially in the division,” referred to as to congratulate him and supply their assist. 

So, as Chad Tracy and the Boston Red Sox arrived for this three-game sequence in Toronto, Schneider did the identical factor for the newly named interim supervisor on Monday morning.

“Very cool, very classy,” mentioned Tracy. “(Schneider) said he wanted to pay it forward, he remembered when people did that for him. So he texted, we called and spoke for probably about 10 minutes and just offered advice. Another one who has been named an interim manager, came in the middle of the season, has gone through what I’m going through. He offered support, said if you ever need some advice that he’s there. Warren Schaeffer (of the Colorado Rockies) was another one who texted me (on Monday). I was around Schaef in Colorado when we were both players. He’s gone through it. So it’s been cool the different people that have reached out to offer support.”

Tracy was pulled from a recreation he was managing at triple-A Worcester on Saturday and promoted to the large leagues after Alex Cora and 5 employees members have been abruptly fired in a surprising first-month culling. 

Schneider “just wanted to say congratulations” and instructed Tracy “I was available for any questions. … I don’t know him. I’ve never met him. But I just felt this is the right baseball thing to do, to reach out and offer my support.”

Tracy felt the identical approach: “When you’re not out there competing between the lines, the fraternity of it and people taking care of people, I thought it was a very classy move.”

Swing or take: Heading into Monday’s play, the Blue Jays had seen the fewest pitches within the majors at 3,787 and, correspondingly, had the bottom common pitches-per-plate-appearance at 3.72. They’d additionally swung on the first pitch 34 per cent of the time, tied for third highest within the majors, whereas their contact charge of 77.2 per cent was tied for second. Finally, they’d swung at 51.3 per cent of all pitches they’ve seen, second within the majors and solely a tenth behind the Colorado Rockies. 

Combined, the numbers paint the image of an aggressive, free-swinging offence. One that makes loads of contact, which is sweet when hitters hunt and get their pitch, and considerably much less efficient when pitchers’ pitches get put in play. 

So, are the Blue Jays merely being the suitable degree of aggressive on the plate, or do they should work some deeper counts to make life more durable on opposing pitchers, starters particularly? The significance of these questions on method was demonstrated on Monday, when Ranger Suarez held them to at least one hit over eight innings with 10 strikeouts on solely 105 pitches. 

“It’s give-and-take,” mentioned John Schneider. “Certain hitters, we want them to be aggressive, and against certain pitchers, you’ve got to be ready to be both. You’ve got to be ready in the middle, and if it’s not there, you can’t budge. When you’re going into a game like this, that was what you didn’t want to have happen. I thought some of the guys worked the at-bats, worked the counts and when you did, (Suarez) just didn’t give in with a couple of 3-2 breaking balls and he’s not really predictable. So it’s a give-and-take. We want guys to be ready from Pitch 1, but it’s got to be in a spot where you can do something with it and if it’s not, you’ve got to move it on to the next pitch. It’s easier said than done when a guy’s got multiple pitches and multiple things he can do.”