Trey Yesavage didn't make it out of the first inning in tonight's rehab start with Buffalo.

His pitch count ran up to 34 with only two outs recorded, a rough command night by any measure.

He allowed two hits and a walk before the outing was cut short.

Results in a rehab start rarely tell the full story, and that's true here too. The number that actually matters sat at 93.3 mph on his fastball.

That's real velocity, essentially in line with where he was before the knee injury that sidelined him back in early August.

Command, not stuff, was clearly the issue tonight. Elevated pitch counts from walks and traffic on the bases point to timing and rhythm still catching up, not diminished arm strength.

That's a normal part of any rehab process, especially for a pitcher who hasn't faced live hitters in game conditions for weeks.

Why this outing likely doesn't change the bigger picture

Toronto's medical and coaching staffs will look at this start through that lens rather than the raw line.

A 34-pitch, two-out first inning is a rough box score, but it's not the same red flag it would be if the velocity had dropped off as well.

There's no word yet on whether this outing pushes back his timeline or simply gets treated as one uneven step in an otherwise steady recovery.

Toronto's rotation has needed reinforcements for weeks, and Yesavage's return remains a real priority given how thin the pitching staff has been stretched.

Whether he gets another rehab outing to smooth out the command issues, or Toronto still feels comfortable with his overall progress, should become clearer in the next few days.

For tonight, the takeaway is mixed: a rough final line, but a fastball that suggests the physical part of this recovery is right on track.