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Toronto Blue Jays looking to shake up their bullpen in a major way
Photo credit: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays' bullpen has been one of the more intriguing storylines this season, ranking second in the MLB with 303 strikeouts and holding the ninth-best ERA at 3.53.
With the potential returns of some key pitchers, including starter Max Scherzer, some difficult roster decisions may need to be made in the coming weeks, particularly regarding the bullpen's composition.
Key arms near return for the Blue Jays.
Tyson Shushkewich from Blue Jays Nation writes that among the injured group, Nick Sandlin appears closest to rejoining the big-league roster. He's already made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, his first was rough, allowing four earned runs in just a third of an inning, but his second outing showed noticeable improvement.
"Most recently, Braydon Fisher has been a trustworthy arm in the Jays' pen, amassing a 2.76 ERA through 14 outings. Spencer Turnbull has one outing under his belt after signing late with the Jays, and pitched two clean innings as well. Right-hander Paxton Schultz has also found success in the big leagues through eight appearences, although he's back in the minor leagues right now as the corresponding action for Turnbull joining the squad. Then there's the likes of Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty, who have both been excelling down in the Jays' bullpen from the very start of the year." -Shushkewich
Add in the potential returns of Yimi Garcia and Scherzer in the coming week, and it's clear more roster moves are in the horizon, though that may be jumping the gun a bit. Injuries or underwhelming performances from the current group could shape those decisions over the next few weeks, but even as things stand, the bullpen situation is already presenting some tough challenges.
"To summarize, yes, the Jays' bullpen is performing well and has the opportunity to get better with the return of Sandlin and Garcia shortly. However, if this club is going to put their best foot forward, tough decisions are going to need to be made with some veteran arms down in that bullpen. There should be no reason why the likes of Green and Swanson are getting priority slots or taking a roster spot over a controllable arm just because of their contract in this stage of the game for Toronto, especially if the 'win-now' mindset is at the forefront." -Shushkewich
We'll see how things unfold in the coming days.
Source:
Blue Jays Nation
Examining the Blue Jays bullpen situation with the incoming returns from the IL
Blue Jays Nation
Examining the Blue Jays bullpen situation with the incoming returns from the IL
| POLL | ||
JUIN 16 | 2272 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays looking to shake up their bullpen in a major way Will Max Scherzer finally return to action this week? | ||
| yes | 1141 | 50.2 % |
| no | 1131 | 49.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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