Chad Dallas is giving John Schneider a real reason to think harder about Toronto's fifth-starter problem.
The Blue Jays do not have a clean answer for that open rotation spot, especially after Eric Lauer's exit left them down to 4 healthy starters. That is why Dallas' latest Triple-A outing mattered.
On Thursday, the 25-year-old right-hander held Worcester to 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks over 4 innings, striking out 5 while throwing 40 of his 63 pitches for strikes.
That outing did not just pad a nice early-season line. It made the call-up argument louder at the exact time Toronto is trying to figure out what to do Saturday against Detroit.
Right now, the Blue Jays are leaning toward a spot starter or bullpen game, with Spencer Miles expected to factor in somewhere if he is not needed before then. Toronto also has Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios, and Shane Bieber on the injured list, which keeps the pressure on every rotation choice.
That is where Dallas starts to look more appealing. He is a traditional starter, and for a staff that keeps patching innings together, that matters.
Dallas is becoming harder for Toronto to ignore
Blue Jays Nation noted that Dallas has now allowed 1 run or less 6 times in 8 games, including 7 starts, which has pushed his ERA to 3.41 and his FIP to 2.92.
The bigger shift may be in the swing-and-miss. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, Dallas has struck out more than a quarter of the batters he has faced in 29 innings, driven by heavier use of his sweeper and curveball. Both pitches have produced whiff rates of at least 30 percent.
That gives him a little more edge than the old depth-starter label suggests. He is not just surviving in Buffalo. He is missing bats in a way that gets a front office's attention.
There are still limits here. Dallas has not pitched deeper than 4.2 innings yet this season, and because he missed all of last year, Toronto would still have to watch his workload carefully. He also is not on the 40-man roster.
That means this is not a perfect fix. Then again, the Blue Jays do not have one.
Blue Jays Nation even floated the idea of Dallas and Miles working in a tandem setup, which might be the closest thing Toronto has to a workable short-term plan.
Schneider already mentioned Dallas and CJ Van Eyk as possible Triple-A call-up options, and the timing lines up. Dallas should be lined up for either Wednesday or Thursday next week, which could fit Toronto's next opening in the Bronx.
That is why this latest start matters. Chad Dallas may not have kicked the door down yet, but he is making the Blue Jays' fifth-starter debate a lot less simple.
Should Chad Dallas get the next real shot at the Blue Jays' fifth starter spot?
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