Chad Dallas is back in the majors, and the Toronto Blue Jays needed a fresh arm badly enough to make room for him in San Francisco.
Toronto optioned Yohendrick Pinango to clear a spot, sending the outfielder down as the club continues its road trip against the Giants.
Dallas has appeared in one game this season, tossing three and two thirds innings with one earned run, two strikeouts and two walks.
That's a small sample, but it's a clean one. And after watching the bullpen get torched the last few nights, the Blue Jays will take it.
Pinango, on the other hand, heads back to the minors hitting .267 with a .725 OPS across 51 games this year, with five home runs and 11 runs scored.
He'd cooled recently too, batting just .231 over his last five games with three strikeouts in 13 at-bats.
Timing matters here. This move comes right in the middle of a brutal stretch for Toronto, a team already sitting at 42-49 and third in the American League East.
Bullpen relief that can't come soon enough for John Schneider
Adam Macko and Tommy Nance both allowed home runs out of the bullpen during Monday's blowout loss to the Giants, and that kind of night is exactly why Dallas got the call.
He gives John Schneider another live arm to mix in, whether that's long relief on a night the rotation gets knocked around or a fresh look in a tighter spot.
Pinango wasn't exactly thriving in his role either. A .267 average with modest power doesn't move the needle much for a lineup that's already struggling to score.
Is this the kind of shuffle that actually changes anything, or just deck chairs on a team stuck below .500 in July?
Dallas joins the Blue Jays in San Francisco as they try to salvage the finale of this series after dropping three straight.
Whether he sees the mound today or waits for his next opportunity, the move signals Toronto is at least willing to shake something loose.
Pinango will look to force his way back with a strong showing in Triple-A, and how quickly he responds could decide how long this option actually lasts.
Was optioning Yohendrick Pinango the right move for the Blue Jays right now?
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