The Toronto Blue Jays' rotation has been a revolving door all season, from Cody Ponce getting hurt in the first week to Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber starting late, to Jose Berrios never throwing a single pitch.
And yet, remarkably, it's been one of the more consistent parts of this roster all year, even with all the faces cycling through.
Things looked like they were finally coming together after the deadline. Toronto dealt Kevin Gausman to the Cubs but added Jameson Taillon, Jose Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti, while getting improved performances from Bieber and Max Scherzer.
For the first time all season, it felt like Toronto might have too much starting pitching. On August 4th, John Schneider announced a temporary six-man rotation. It didn't last.
Yesavage was injured that same night in Houston, hurting his left knee warming up before the third inning. Arrighetti, already rehabbing a foot injury when acquired, reaggravated it during his first Toronto rehab stint, pulled after 2.1 innings. Taillon, cruising through four strong innings in his home debut against Boston on August 10th, was removed with right forearm discomfort.
Why just one return would change everything
Each has since received a diagnosis. Taillon has right forearm tendinitis and landed on the 15-day IL. Arrighetti was diagnosed with Morton's neuroma. Yesavage underwent meniscus surgery and is also on the 15-day IL. Remarkably, Toronto isn't ruling out a return for any of them this season.
Schneider said Yesavage will be monitored week to week. He's posted a 3.65 ERA over 18 starts and could reprise the role he played last September, when he gave Toronto real stretch-run and postseason innings after a late call-up.
Taillon will rest before resuming throwing, and an MRI thankfully revealed no structural damage, real relief given his injury history.
Arrighetti, sitting at a 4.60 ERA over 17 starts with Houston before the trade, is hoped to pitch through his diagnosis while receiving treatment, with no reason he can't return before the season ends if he avoids further setbacks.
Toronto is down to four starters again, with Spencer Miles and Simeon Woods Richardson available for emergency starts, but that creates a trickle-down problem for a bullpen already running on fumes, covering 46.1 innings over the last 10 days, the most in baseball. Paul Sewald, added off waivers, isn't expected to be activated until Friday.
It's a bit like finally getting the car running smoothly only to have three warning lights come on at once, the timing making an already fragile situation feel even more urgent.
Toronto is finally playing the way most people expected entering the season, but it won't hold up without at least one of these arms back soon.
Which injured Blue Jays starter's return would help this rotation the most: Yesavage, Taillon, or Arrighetti?
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