The Toronto Blue Jays have been hit hard by the injury bug this season to both the starting rotation and the bullpen.
The Blue Jays have five starters either miss time, are currently out or are set to be out for the rest of the season.
Due to these ailments, Toronto's bullpen has had to pick up a lot of extra innings, despite not being at full strength in its own right.
High-leverage right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia is yet to make his debut this season due to right elbow surgery he underwent in 2025. He recently began a rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays.
With the litany of injuries that Toronto has suffered in the bullpen, it has opted to bring up a right-handed reliever that has dealt with his own complications since joining the organization.
According to a post on "X" from Francys Romero, the Blue Jays are planning to bring up Yariel Rodriguez from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. It's not clear when he'll be officially activated to the 26-man roster but he'll join the team ahead of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which begins at 7:07 p.m. ET on Monday at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Rodriguez, a Cuban native, was originally signed by Toronto to a five-year, $32 million contract ahead of the 2024 season after a three-season stint with Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Nippon Professional baseball (2020-22). Rodriguez opted not to pitch for the Dragons in 2023 while searching for an MLB contract.
Rodriguez struggled in his first year with the Blue Jays. In 21 starts in '24, Rodriguez had a 4.47 ERA and struck out 85 hitters in 86.2 innings pitched.
The 29-year-old righty was moved to the bullpen last season and fared a lot better. He posted a 3.08 ERA and fanned 66 hitters in 77 innings pitched across 66 appearances (one start). Rodriguez was on the postseason roster for the American League Divisional Series and the American League Championship Series before being left off the roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Toronto effectively made it clear that it had no immediate plans for Rodriguez and outrighted him to the Bisons on Dec. 6, 2025.
How Should Toronto Blue Jays Handle Yariel Rodriguez Now?
How Should Toronto Blue Jays Handle Yariel Rodriguez Now? After outrighting him on Saturday, does the high-priced righty have a position in the organization?
Despite the Blue Jays not having him on the 40-man roster, they placed extensive restrictions on him for the 2026 World Baseball Classic that kept him exclusively as a reliever for his native Cuba.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yariel Rodriguez (middle) throws during a spring training workout Feb. 16 at the team’s practice facility in Dunedin, Fla. | Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images.
This season with Buffalo, Rodriguez has a 2.63 ERA and has struck out 25 hitters in 13.2 innings pitched across 11 appearances (one start).
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