Tanner Andrews joins John Schneider's club tonight, and the Blue Jays just turned Dylan Cease's injury fallout into a real roster move.
Toronto selected Andrews as the counter move after placing Cease on the 15-day injured list with a mild left hamstring strain. That made the call-up more than a nice story. It made it a need.
Andrews earned it in Buffalo. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 1.35 ERA in 16 games with the Bisons, striking out 22 over 20.0 innings.
That line is why this stands out. Toronto did not just grab a fresh arm because Cease went down. The Blue Jays called up a reliever who had been forcing his way into the picture.
There is a nice twist in the timing, too. Andrews was originally drafted by the Marlins in the 10th round in 2018, and now his first trip to the majors comes ahead of a game against Miami.
The bigger part is what it means for him personally. This is Andrews' first call to the big leagues, which gives Toronto a late-blooming bullpen story at a moment when the staff badly needed one.
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Why Tanner Andrews got this shot now
The Blue Jays are still talking through how to cover Cease's next turn, and Andrews is not necessarily the pitcher built to give them 70-plus pitches Friday in Baltimore. This move is more about today's bullpen and immediate coverage.
That does not make it small. Toronto still needed an active arm for the Marlins game, and Andrews' Triple-A form gave the front office a cleaner answer than a random depth shuffle.
His Buffalo work had more than just a low ERA, too. Andrews also carried 5 saves, which tells you the Bisons trusted him when innings started tightening up.
That matters for John Schneider. A first-time call-up can get buried in mop-up work, but a reliever with recent late-inning usage gives the manager more room to use him when the game starts leaning. That is an inference from his Triple-A role and results.
There is also some age pressure in a good way. At 30, Andrews is not arriving as a long-view development piece. He is here because the Blue Jays think he can help right now.
For Toronto, that is the sharp read on this move. Cease's injury opened the door, but Andrews' 1.35 ERA is what got him through it.
So yes, the Blue Jays still have a bigger rotation question coming later this week. But before they solve Friday, they gave Tanner Andrews the first major-league shot he has been chasing since 2018.
Will Tanner Andrews stick with the Blue Jays after this first call-up?
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