TORONTO -- If there’s one thing that Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker is certain of right now, it’s that when baseball returns, his staff will be ready.

Walker -- along with the rest of the club’s coaching staff, strength staff and the high-performance department -- has crafted an individual plan for each of the club’s pitchers. The players might even be tired of hearing from the staff so often, Walker joked on a conference call on Friday, but it’s all part of the staff’s plan to put the player at the centre of their work and be ready to hit the ground running when the time comes.

“I’d be shocked if there are other teams doing more,” Walker said.

The wait for baseball’s return amid the coronavirus pandemic will impact pitchers in different ways. A 23-year-old throwing 100 mph will feel this differently than a 33-year-old who throws 90 mph, so from top prospects to their veteran MLB staff, the Blue Jays are trying to zero in on specific needs.

“I think we’ve done a good job individualizing our programs for each guy based on what they have and what they could possibly need,” Walker said. “A season like this, if it is a shortened season, obviously veteran guys may benefit. Over the long haul, it’s a little bit of a grind for the guys who have been doing it for a long time.”

Walker’s belief that veteran players would benefit from a shortened season is shared by many around the game. Not only could the wear of a potentially shortened season be kinder to them physically after six, eight or 10 years in the big leagues, but with so many unknowns throughout this process, players who have a strong footing and understanding of the league are better positioned to deal with these new challenges added.

By that thinking, a rotation of at least four veterans between the ages of 32-33 might be a comfortable starting point for the Blue Jays when baseball returns.

“Matt Shoemaker, Chase Anderson, Tanner Roark [and] Hyun-Jin Ryu down there in Florida, everybody is very open to progressing as we suggest, and also making modifications to throwing programs,” Walker said. “That’s the biggest thing, making sure that we’re ready.”

Player development complex update
Construction on the Blue Jays’ expansive new player development complex continues in Dunedin, Fla., team president and CEO Mark Shapiro said Thursday on Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid. There are almost 200 people “on the job site,” Shapiro said, who are socially distancing and practicing a safe work environment as they move forward with the project.

“I do think that when we resume, in whatever form baseball takes, particularly at the player development and Minor League levels, Spring Training and player development complexes are going to be used more and differently than they ever have,” Shapiro said. “So our timing on that couldn’t have been better.”

Update on Venezuelan players
The Blue Jays still have a group of their young Venezuelan players in Florida, as they are unable to return home to Venezuela right now. The club is working with all involved to prioritize mental well-being and physical health, but Shapiro understands what a difficult situation they’re in.

“We’ve just tried to, on a very, very daily basis, connect with them, guide them, talk with them, support them and provide them with some pieces of regular life if we can,” Shapiro said.