Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters today, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, that right-hander Mitch White is dealing with elbow inflammation. The injury seems likely to force White to start the season on the injured list, as he had already been slowed earlier this spring by a shoulder impingement.
White, 28, was acquired by Toronto in a deal with the Dodgers last summer and struggled down the stretch, posting a 7.74 ERA in 43 big league innings with the Blue Jays last year. Despite those concerning numbers, White pitched a fair bit better than they would indicate. A sky-high BABIP of .368 and a strand rate of just 54.3% during his time pitching for Toronto last year help to explain his solid 3.76 FIP even as his strikeout rate dropped to just 15.3% with the Blue Jays. White also looked better in the first half of the year with Los Angeles, posting a 3.70 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate in 56 innings of work for the Dodgers.
Given his success with the Dodgers and unfortunate luck in his first stint with the Blue Jays, White seemed likely to make the bullpen as the primary long relief option for the club. With that no longer feasible, Matheson notes that right-hander Zach Pop appears poised to make the Opening Day roster. Pop impressed in 39 innings of work in 2022 split between Toronto and Miami, recording a sterling 2.77 ERA largely backed up by his 2.96 FIP.
While this set-up would leave the Blue Jays without a traditional long reliever in their bullpen, Schneider seems unperturbed by this, telling reporters that both Pop and fellow righty Trevor Richards, who opened four games for the Jays last year as a spot starter, can both be options to go multiple innings if necessary.
Schneider’s comments come on the heels of another round of cuts from Blue Jays camp, including former top prospect Nate Pearson. The right-handed Pearson, now 26, missed most of the 2022 season with mononucleosis after struggling to a 5.18 ERA in 33 big league innings across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Now a full-time reliever, Pearson figures to get another chance in the big leagues at some point this season, but that opportunity will not come on Opening Day.
Also among today’s cuts was right-hander Zach Thompson, who Toronto acquired from the Pirates earlier this offseason after pitching to a 5.18 ERA in 121 2/3 innings in a swing role for Pittsburgh last year. Thompson figures to be a depth option for the Blue Jays’s rotation this year alongside players like Thomas Hatch and Bowden Francis, who were also among today’s cuts from big league camp.
Jays need a good lefty for the pen, otherwise they’re not going past the WC this year
That’s a trade deadline acquisition. I thought the Jays needed to sign one in the offseason, but they chose not to. I feel like that will be a need that will be filled with a trade at some point
Lets see how Tiedemann does in minors
He maybe a great Aug 1 call up
With both Ryu and Green looking likely available around that time, 2 pitchers are going to get pushed off the 26 man. “Calling up” Teideman would result in someone else being pushed off because he isn’t even on the 40 man.
Not to mention he only has 11 IP at AA last year. I can’t see a way Teideman gets in a MLB game this year.
Not everyone performs as they should or as you would hope. Teideman should be up sometime this year for sure. If he doesn’t then that’s a great thing as there was little to no injuries and everyone performed well. That has never happened ever in baseball.
Manoah went straight from AA to the majors. It wouldn’t be the first time the Jays have done it.
Manoah has still never pitched in AA. He went from Vancouver to alt site to Buffalo to Toronto. With only a few starts… but the lack of 2020 minor leagues puts an asterisk by his shortage of minor league innings — special circumstances.
There’ve been plenty called up from AA though, Jesse Litsch springs to mind. Typically when the team is really struggling to find starting pitching, hopefully there aren’t enough injuries to burn through all the SP depth this year.
Ryu and Kikuchi will be coming out of the Pen come playoff time anyway
Hopefully in AAA, Pearson figure it out and stay healthy.
Would have chosen to bring Pearson up instead of Richards. Dude was terrible last year and throws so soft. Nate and his fastball have real potential.
If Richards had options that might have been the choice
while i also didn’t love seeing him come out of the pen last year his ERA is misleading – his FIP was basically league average and is SIERRA was better then both – front office probably rightly so wants to see him this season first before releasing him to replace him with Nate
As they should
I was hoping for an Andrew Chafin signing all off season. For him the Jays should have been ok with losing Richards. But not for Pearson who you can control in AAA
@dexter – yeah I was in that boat also . It is interesting that he ended up on a 1yr for D backs if I’m not mistaken . It would seem none of the playoff teams were interested. His xFIP was not great so I wonder if teams expected some regression this season given his FB\HR rate , he has maintained below average 2 straight seasons now so not sure why teams all passed on him
Imo very smart move for Pearson to be starting the year in Buffalo. The guy needs to get some consistent innings in, not only to justify and prove he can throw…but to give the guy some confidence. Would love to see them develop him into a potential long term option as closer or set up guy because the raw stuff is absolutely there…if he can stay on the field
Not only has Pearson not proved himself in the majors, he hasn’t really proved himself in AAA — he’s been about average there in 61 IP for his career. I want to see him dominating in Buffalo before I see him in Toronto.