Jameson Taillon is back, and he's starting for the Blue Jays tonight.
Toronto reinstated the right-hander from the 15-day IL, right on the timeline the club had been targeting all week.
The corresponding move sends left-hander Ricky Tiedemann back to Triple-A.
Taillon worked through bullpen sessions in Tampa and Cleveland over the past couple weeks, clearing every checkpoint without a setback.
This marks his return from a forearm injury that had sidelined him for weeks during a stretch where Toronto badly needed rotation stability.
He's made just two starts for the Blue Jays this season, posting a 3.38 ERA over eight innings in that small sample before the injury hit.
Getting a healthy veteran starter back gives John Schneider one less night patched together with bullpen games and reshuffled arms.
Why Tiedemann's option makes sense given the roster crunch
Tiedemann had been up as part of Toronto's expanded September roster, appearing in relief and bulk innings while the rotation searched for stability.
His track record already includes multiple short big-league stints this season, each ending with a trip back to Buffalo once his specific role wasn't needed.
That's simply the roster math of adding a starter back. Someone with fewer options typically pays the price for a returning veteran.
Toronto sits 0.5 games back of a wild-card spot right now, making tonight's start a real opportunity for Taillon to prove he can hold down a rotation spot for these final weeks.
The Blue Jays have dealt with rotation injuries constantly this season, and every healthy return matters more with so few games left to play.
Whether Taillon can give Toronto consistent innings the rest of the way is the question this final stretch will actually answer.
Do you think Jameson Taillon stays healthy and effective for the rest of the season?
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