Reeling Blue Jays one more pitching injury away from potential disaster

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As dispiriting as a lop-sided three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays had to feeling this weekend, the ongoing impotence of the Blue Jays offence may have some company in crisis.

And that is saying something.

The lack of hitting punch was always going to be an issue for the Jays, as it was in Sunday’s 13-0 loss down at George Steinbrenner Field to end a series in which the benign visitors were humiliated by a non-competitive 19-2 aggregate.

But through some wobbly performances and key injuries — both fresh and ongoing — suddenly it feels as though the Toronto pitching staff is entering its own troubled phase.

Over time, the Blue Jays have taken pride in keeping their pitchers healthy, managing workloads in an attempt to avoid untimely trips to the injured list. For a run-starved team built with a management proclaimed emphasis on pitching and defence, avoiding injuries to prominent arms was essential.

Now, after sending Yimi Garcia to the 15-day injury list with shoulder issues on Saturday and a stark lack of depth to fill in, the Jays are suddenly facing heightened concerns with an overworked and possibly regressing group of pitchers.

And yes, they could be one major injury setback away from disaster.

Already short-handed in both the starting rotation and bullpen, the Garcia injury could have significant reverberations throughout a 25-27 team fighting a mostly losing battle to get to and stay above .500.

The problems are further exacerbated on days such as Sunday in Tampa where normally reliable starter Chris Bassitt had to exit without recording an out in the fifth inning forcing yet another early activation of the bullpen.

The Jays are by no means unique in losing pitchers to injury — it’s a symptom of modern-day baseball and the emphasis on velocity and spin that takes pitchers down across MLB. But it’s hitting the Toronto staff in key spots and at every level of the organization.

There is starter Max Scherzer, signed to a one-year, $15.5-million US contract to bring experience, savvy and that Cy Young-winning arm to the rotation. Scherzer is progressing through his thumb injury but is still weeks away at best.

There is Alek Manoah, once considered the bright light of the rotation, recovering from Tommy John surgery and aggressively eyeing a return, ideally by early August.

There are highly touted prospects Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera among the TJ victims, also working back to health in Florida alongside Manoah but non-factors until 2026.

Earlier this month, Jake Bloss, a well-regarded prospect due to be called up, went under the knife for a form of Tommy John, and on it goes.

These types of ailments happen through normal wear, tear and hard luck but more and more balancing usage and proper rest and care can become a tight rope.

It’s certainly not unreasonable to suggest that a heightened workload of Garcia’s 34-year-old right arm at least contributed to his latest ailment. Out of necessity in an overworked bullpen making up for some shortcomings from the starting crew — and an inordinate amount of tight games because of a lagging offence — Garcia appeared in 21 of the Jays’ first 48 games. That’s a lot of strain on a hard-throwing dude who endured two separate injured list stints in 2024.

Garcia wasn’t alone.

Last season, the Jays lost 230 man games due to injury from regulars on the roster such as Garcia, Chad Green (35 games), Yariel Rodriguez (44), Bowden Francis (34), Manoah (34), Jordan Romano (17) and Erik Swanson (17) all spent time on the injured list. And that’s not including the season-ending injuries which cost both Manoah and Romano another 107 games each.

The loss of Garcia has potentially far-reaching implications depending on the severity of the shoulder ailment. The Jays felt it was serious enough to send him back to Toronto to be evaluated by team medical personnel, only after which they’ll have a better idea of a recovery plan and timeline.

But with the struggles of Jeff Hoffman of late and Garcia’s absence, suddenly the back end of the bullpen — such a strength in the first month of the season — is in a position of vulnerability. There will be opportunity for Rodriguez and Brendon Little, who have both been excellent, but are unproven in such leverage.

No matter how long it is for, the absence of a proven and effective reliever has implications beyond the bullpen. With a rotation comprised of just three reliable arms (given the struggles of Francis and the absence of Scherzer) it has further challenged the already marginal pitching depth of the Toronto organization.

Yes, there is some help on the horizon — both in the form of Scherzer and Manoah. They are at best weeks and months away, respectively, making the short term feel even more ominous for a stressed and hard-used group of pitchers.

rlongley@postmedia.com
X: @longleysunsport