Jake Bloss gave John Schneider a timely rehab step Tuesday as the Blue Jays keep searching for a fifth starter.
That timing matters because Toronto just designated Eric Lauer for assignment and opened another hole in the rotation picture.
Bloss returned to game action with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays after a full year away from the mound. In 2.1 innings, he allowed 1 hit, struck out 4, and did not give up a run.
For a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, that is the kind of line that gets attention fast. Not because it means he is ready tomorrow, but because it puts him back in the conversation.
Bloss had not pitched in a game since May 3, 2025. Shortly after that outing with Triple-A Buffalo, the Blue Jays announced that he needed Tommy John surgery.
That surgery cost him the rest of the 2025 season and the first month of 2026, which is why Tuesday's outing felt bigger than a quiet complex-league box score.
Toronto is not exactly choosing from a place of comfort right now. With Lauer gone, the Blue Jays are weighing internal rotation options while also looking outside the organization.
Bloss is back in the mix at the right time
That is where Bloss becomes interesting again. Blue Jays Nation noted that Chad Dallas, CJ Van Eyk, and Bloss are among the internal names tied to the fifth spot, but Bloss is the only one of that group with MLB experience.
His big-league sample came with Houston in 2024, when injuries pushed him into 3 starts before the Astros traded him to Toronto in the Yusei Kikuchi deal. He posted a 6.94 ERA over 11.2 innings in those appearances.
That trade still matters in this story. Toronto did not acquire Bloss as filler. The Blue Jays saw enough arm talent to make him part of a major deadline move, even if the results since then have been uneven.
After the trade, Bloss finished 2024 with a 6.91 ERA in 27.1 Triple-A innings. In his first 5 starts of 2025 before the injury, he had a 6.46 ERA across 23.2 innings.
So no, this is not a finished product kicking down the clubhouse door. It is a young pitcher with prospect value, real stuff, and a chance to reenter Toronto's plans when the staff needs options.
And that is why Tuesday mattered. Jake Bloss is healthy enough to pitch again, he missed bats right away, and for a Blue Jays team short on rotation answers, that alone makes him worth watching closely.
Should the Blue Jays consider Jake Bloss for the fifth rotation spot later this season?
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