When Will the Blue Jays 22-Year-Old Rookie Return to the Mound in 2026?
At the start of the 2026 season, Toronto fans thought Trey Yesavage’s injury would be the worst of their problems. Less than a month later, his injury updates are the most reassuring Blue Jays news out there. Just before Opening Day, it was announced that the rookie wouldn’t be on the roster to start the season. Fans were right to speculate when he was taking it easy during Spring Training because it was soon announced that he had a right shoulder impingement. When it was first brought to the public’s attention, he was already on the mend. Toronto hoped he would heal by Opening Day, but the recovery took longer than they hoped. Now, Yesavage is set to be the first to come back from the Blue Jays’ extensive injured list.
Toronto’s IL currently consists of 13 players, ranging from season-ending injuries, like Cody Ponce’s ACL sprain, to short-term problems, such as Daulton Varsho’s recent knee discomfort. That doesn’t even include those playing through recovery like Eric Lauer’s flu, Max Scherzer’s tendinitis, and now Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sore index finger. A team that had one of the top offenses in the league is missing key bats like George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and Addison Barger. However, this curse has hit the Blue Jays’ pitching staff the hardest. Eight of the 13 players on the IL are pitchers. Most recently, Lázaro Estrada, whom the Blue Jays brought up to cover for the injured players, was added for a right shoulder impingement after he returned to the minors.
Yesavage’s impending return is crucial for his struggling team, so to see him so close to his first Major League start of the season is reassuring. The 22-year-old started his recovery by pitching simulated games of around three innings against Minor League teams. He made several starts for the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto’s Low-A affiliate. The team is located in Florida, so the warm weather is safer for pitching arms. Now that spring has sprung in the northeast, the rookie was able to start for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on April 15th. He exceeded his goal by throwing 71 pitches, and his fastball sat at 93-95 mph.
At first, it was unclear if that would be his final rehab start, but it was announced that he will throw one more in Buffalo on Tuesday, April 21st. Manager John Schneider wants his pitcher to reach 75 pitches and feel the workload one more time to confirm he is as close to 100% as possible before facing the big leagues. Yesavage should return soon after Toronto’s current road trip, which concludes in Los Angeles on April 22nd. Even if the 22-year-old isn’t at peak performance upon his return, hopefully, he will at least be a breath of fresh air for the Blue Jays staff, players, and fans alike.
