Injuries & Moves: Swanson, Romano off IL
LATEST NEWS
April 16: RHPs Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano reinstated off 15-day IL; RHP Mitch White designated for assignment; RHP Nate Pearson optioned to Triple-A Buffalo
Toronto's bullpen got a major boost with the return of Romano and Swanson. The closer's role will be Romano's, and with Yimi García pitching as well as he has in his Blue Jays career, Toronto should also have one of the hottest setup men in baseball.
White was out of options, and with the Blue Jays preferring to keep Bowden Francis for length, White was the odd man out. The Pearson move is the more surprising one on the surface, given his 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings, particularly after he touched 102 mph on Sunday against the Rockies. Pearson still has options, though, and while Toronto is very confident he will play a major role in the big leagues this season, he's on the outside looking in for now.
April 15: C Danny Jansen reinstated from IL; C Brian Serven optioned to Triple-A Buffalo
Jansen, who fractured a small right wrist bone when he was hit by a pitch on March 13, was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. That's huge news for the Blue Jays, given Jansen's talent handling a pitching staff and his power at the plate. Jansen's return will bring a timeshare with Alejandro Kirk, but Kirk has struggled to open the season and Jansen remains the 1A in the tandem.
Serven started only three games while with the big league club, not collecting a hit in eight at-bats.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Alek Manoah (right shoulder soreness)
Expected return: Potentially late April
Manoah struggled in his first official rehab outing on April 7, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits and four walks over just 1 2/3 innings with Single-A Dunedin. His next outing in Triple-A Buffalo on April 13 looked better, but Manoah still allowed four runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings (78 pitches).
At this point, Manoah's performance starts to matter. He's built up his pitch count and could be close to a full workload his next time out, which is encouraging, but the Blue Jays will need to see his control and efficiency take a step forward. As it stands, Yariel Rodriguez is the Blue Jays' No. 5 starter and it doesn't feel like that will change any time soon. It would be valuable for the organization to see Manoah establish himself as the next man up, though, should another starter be needed. (Last updated: April 14)