The Toronto Blue Jays are getting set to take on the Colorado Rockies this weekend after coming off a series win over the Seattle Mariners in which they won the first two games and dropped the finale; both teams scored 11 runs in the three-game series. This weekend the Blue Jays will have Kevin Gausman, Bowden Francis, and Jose Berrios taking the hill which should lead to a series win before the Yankees come to town for a three-game series. Before the series against Colorado starts a report has come out that the Blue Jays are calling up RHP Yariel Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo. It remains to be seen what the corresponding move might be, but Rodriguez is expected to join the team over the weekend.
RHP – Yariel Rodriguez
Rodriguez spent time pitching in the Cuban National Series appearing in 91 games with 72 coming as starts, he went 31-26 with a 3.30 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and 357 strikeouts in 464.1 innings. In 2020 through 2022 he pitched in Japan in the Japan Central League and the Japan Western League appearing in 79 games going 10-10 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 188 strikeouts in 175.1 innings. He also pitched in the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Team Cuba making two starts posting a 2.46 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and ten strikeouts in 7.1 innings. He ended up not pitching anywhere last season as he was working to sign with a Major League Baseball team however that didn’t happen. The 27-year-old signed with the Blue Jays on February 9th for five-year $32 million. This spring he made two starts going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and three strikeouts in five innings. He would start the 2024 season with Triple-A Buffalo making two starts and he didn’t allow a run in either start posting a 0.63 WHIP, and ten strikeouts in 6.1 innings. His first start came last Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate the Worcester Red Sox going four innings, he didn’t allow a run or a hit; he walked one and struck out six. His second start also came against Worcester on Sunday going 2.1 innings, he didn’t allow a run, on one hit; he walked two and struck out four. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll be making a start or will be coming out of the bullpen with how he’s looked as a starter in Spring Training and through his first two starts in Triple-A.
