Blue Jays Pitcher Trey Yesavage Nears Return After Rehab Stint

Yesavage's successful outing at Triple-A Buffalo puts him on track to rejoin the major league rotation soon.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:04am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher's windup and delivery, with sharp, overlapping planes in muted navy, green, and orange tones.A cubist interpretation of a pitcher's motion captures the complex movements and energy of a player nearing a return to the mound.Los Angeles Today

The Toronto Blue Jays are close to welcoming back right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage from the injured list after he had a successful rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on April 16, 2026. Yesavage threw 71 pitches over 4 1/3 innings, showing strong velocity and effectiveness of his secondary pitches, which were the key indicators the team was monitoring for his recovery from a shoulder impingement.

Why it matters

Yesavage's return would provide a much-needed boost to the Blue Jays' rotation, which has faced significant injuries and illnesses early in the 2026 season, including the losses of José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Cody Ponce. His addition could help stabilize the pitching staff as the team looks to remain competitive in the AL East.

The details

In his rehab start, Yesavage sat between 93-95 mph with his fastball and generated swings and misses on all five swings against his splitter, two key metrics the Blue Jays were monitoring. While he allowed seven hits and two home runs, the team deemed the results secondary, focusing instead on his velocity, command, and effectiveness of his secondary pitches.

  • Yesavage's rehab start took place on April 16, 2026.
  • The Blue Jays are expected to make a decision on Yesavage's return by April 18, 2026.

The players

Trey Yesavage

A right-handed pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who is working his way back from a shoulder impingement that delayed the start of his 2026 season.

John Schneider

The manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

José Berríos

A starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who has faced early-season injuries.

Shane Bieber

A starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who has faced early-season injuries.

Cody Ponce

A starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who has faced early-season injuries.

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What they’re saying

“Whenever you're getting close, you don't want to be too knee-jerky, but he's champing at the bit and it's right in line with what we'd thought.”

— John Schneider, Manager, Toronto Blue Jays

What’s next

The Blue Jays will evaluate Yesavage's recovery from his rehab start before making a final decision on his return, which is expected by April 18, 2026. If cleared, Yesavage could rejoin the team during their ongoing road trip and potentially line up to pitch in the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels early the following week.

The takeaway

Yesavage's successful rehab start is a positive sign for the Blue Jays, who have dealt with significant pitching injuries and illnesses early in the 2026 season. His return could provide a much-needed boost to the team's rotation as they look to remain competitive in the AL East.