Blue Jays option Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo

As anticipated, Estrada will rejoin the Blue Jays’ bullpen on Saturday after being sidelined since April 5 due to a right shoulder impingement. He has made just one appearance with the team this season, hurling four scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Brendon Little was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move to clear a spot in the Jays’ bullpen.

The Jays already have a couple of openings on their 40-man roster, so all they’ll have to do is clear a spot in the bullpen for Estrada’s return. The 27-year-old hurler has been shelved since April 5 due to a right shoulder impingement. Before being sidelined, he made just one appearance for the Jays, striking out three batters over four scoreless frames.

It frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for INF Charles McAdoo. Estrada was placed on the injured list on April 18, retroactive to April 5, so his potential return timeline isn’t altered much by this. He’ll be eligible to come off the injured list in early June.

It’s a procedural move after Estrada was found to have injured his shoulder during his time in the big leagues earlier this month. The 26-year-old was placed on the injured list at Triple-A Buffalo earlier this week before being transferred to the major-league one. He tossed four scoreless innings in relief in his lone appearance for Toronto earlier this month. No word yet on how much time he’ll miss.

The 26-year-old hurler was recalled from Triple-A to make a spot start in place of Cody Ponce on Saturday, hurling four scoreless innings against the White Sox in a bulk role. While he performed well in the role, the Jays don’t seem to view him as a long-term replacement for Ponce, so he’ll return to the rotation at Triple-A until he’s needed once again.

Mason Fluharty was tasked with starting Saturday’s game against the White Sox as the opener. He gave up one run on a single, a double, and a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning. Lazaro Estrada then took over in the second inning and held the White Sox scoreless over four frames. He did not allow a hit while issuing two walks and striking out three batters on eight whiffs. With the Blue Jays down a starting pitcher and Trey Yesavage not quite built up yet, Estrada could be in line for more bulk relief work if the team needs to go with a bullpen game in the next week.

Estrada will get the first shot at replacing an injured Cody Ponce (knee) in Toronto’s rotation, at least until Trey Yesavage (shoulder) is ready to make his season debut. The 26-year-old was jettisoned to the minors at the end of spring training and projects as more of a long relief option at the highest level. He made two relief appearances for the Blue Jays last season and posted a 5.73 ERA across 97 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He’s not a recommended streaming option for fantasy managers.

Seabold was signed to a non-roster deal, and he opted out of his minor league contract when he was informed he wouldn’t make the roster. Estrada will be a potential option for Toronto at some point in 2026 in relief.

Estrada heads back to the minors after allowing one run over four innings on Saturday in a long relief appearance against the Angels. The 26-year-old righty figures to be back at some point in the second half.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 26-year-old Cuban right-hander. Estrada worked exclusively as a starter at Triple-A Buffalo where he posted a 4.75 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a 66/21 K/BB ratio across 60 2/3 innings in 15 starts. It seems likely that the Jays will utilize him as a long man out of the bullpen.