Ross Atkins offers updates on Blue Jays' injured starters Yesavage, Bieber, Berrios ahead of Opening Day
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ross Atkins offers updates on Toronto Blue Jays' injured starters ahead of Opening Day.
Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters Thursday afternoon that injured starters Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios are progressing well in their recoveries.
“We are really encouraged given the starting point,” Atkins said of the trio, who are all on the injured list to begin the season.
“All of them are progressing really well, but each step is extremely important. All of them a little bit different but not entirely different timelines,” he said.
Shane Bieber (forearm) is scheduled to throw off a mound at the player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., this week.
It’s an important benchmark for Bieber, who had previously been limited to throwing on flat ground from 120 feet prior to this recent development.
There still isn’t a timeline for his return. But now that he’s been cleared for mound work, it’ll be much easier to begin mapping out his starter’s build-up from here.
Shane Bieber will throw off a mound this week, Ross Atkins says, a big step in his return. He still needs a full ramp-up that will simulate a Spring Training, but it’s easier to chart that out now that he’ll be back on a mound. #BlueJays
Yesavage's velocity back up, Bieber and Berrios will throw off a mound this week
Atkins mentioned that he was particularly satisfied with Yesavage’s progression in his recovery from a shoulder impingement, which manager John Schneider revealed last week he came into camp with.
Trey Yesavage’s velocity bumped back up yesterday in Dunedin and Ross Atkins says it was very encouraging. José Berríos also expected to begin throwing off a mound again this week, too. #BlueJays
Yesavage has been throwing off a mound while Bieber and Berrios (elbow stress fracture) are each supposed to throw off a mound this week.
Toronto bulked up on depth in their starting rotation in the off-season but the injuries mean that depth is being tested early.
The Blue Jays will go with a rotation of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Eric Lauer and Max Scherzer to begin the season in addition to eight relief pitchers who were announced to Toronto’s Opening Day 26-player roster released Wednesday afternoon.
The Blue Jays will get their season started Friday at Rogers Centre against the Athletics with Gausman set to get the ball against veteran righty Luis Severino.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 26|173 ANSWERS Ross Atkins offers updates on Blue Jays' injured starters Yesavage, Bieber, Berrios ahead of Opening Day Do you think Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios will get through this and be able to avoid the injury bug this season? | ||
| Yes | 97 | 56.1 % |
| No | 30 | 17.3 % |
| Too early to tell | 46 | 26.6 % |
| List of polls | ||