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At spring training, the Blue Jays had eight starting pitchers the team was counting on for 2026. That doesn't include Bowden Francis, who is injured.
Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios won't be back in 2026. Eric Lauer has left for L.A. Max Scherzer (on the injured list) isn't reliable enough.
Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber are the four other starters who were at camp and are currently active.
Shane Bieber has just been added to the active roster.
ROSTER MOVES:
RHP Shane Bieber reinstated from the 60-day IL and will be active today
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 23, 2026
Patrick Corbin has joined the mix, but that's not enough. It's clear that he's slowed down, as expected, and that he shouldn't be a mainstay of the rotation.
The options within the organization are limited. Jake Bloss is a good candidate, but the club wants to give him time to make a full recovery without rushing him.
Ross Atkins on potential rotation help:
Jake Bloss – “He's still in that roughly 13-month phase… not a time to push, it's a time to ensure that he's taking the next safe step.”
Simeon Woods Richardson – “Absolutely… his arsenal is very much there… his competitiveness is there.”
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) June 23, 2026
Simeon Woods Richardson, Spencer Miles, Chad Dallas, Ricky Tiedemann, and others are there. But it's not a walk in the park.
The Blue Jays don't have a true fifth starter, and they're just one injury away from being in serious trouble.
That's why Ross Atkins, speaking to the media, said that his priority as the Blue Jays' GM was undoubtedly to acquire a starter.
Ideally, it would be someone who could go to Buffalo without any issues… but that's not easy to find either.
Atkins added that it's shaping up to be a sellers' market, as few teams seem willing to trade. And of course, along with all of this, there's the caveat that the trade deadline is still a ways off, and things will change.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) June 23, 2026
The club, which needs to spend money to stay afloat, believes that the return of injured players on offense will make the difference. In terms of depth, there are options in Triple-A.
Yimi Garcia could also return, someday.
But the rotation is a different story. A trade is therefore likely when the club feels the market will no longer favor sellers as much.
Stay tuned in about a month or so, as the trade deadline approaches.
Created by humans, assisted by AI.
