The Toronto Blue Jays came within one win of a championship last season, and pitching depth was a significant reason why. Ace Kevin Gausman was 11th in MLB with a 1.06 WHIP, right-hander Eric Lauer had a 3.18 ERA over 28 outings (15 starts), and closer Jeff Hoffman was fourth with 33 saves, for example.
On top of that, right-hander Trey Yesavage went 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA over six playoff outings (five starts) after getting his first big-league call-up in September. All of those players are still with Toronto in addition to offseason acquisitions Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers.
That didn’t leave enough space for right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to make the Opening Day roster, per independent reporter Francys Romero.
“Yariel Rodríguez has been informed that he did not make the Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day roster and will begin the 2026 season in Triple-A Buffalo, per source,” he reported.
Rodriguez logged a 3.08 ERA over 66 outings with the Blue Jays in 2025. The 29-year-old was converted to a reliever after recording a 4.47 ERA across 21 starts in 2024.
Rodriguez has allowed seven runs over three innings this spring, along with five strikeouts and a 4.33 WHIP. The native Cuban played in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) from 2020 to 2022 before signing a five-year, $32 million deal with Toronto in February 2024. He notched a 1.33 ERA over eight Triple-A outings (seven starts) that year.
Although Rodriguez was reliable in 2025, he’ll have to wait to get his first big-league chance in the regular season this year.
Blue Jays Relying on Mix of Newcomers and Incumbents
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
(© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
In addition to the aforementioned hurlers, starting right-hander Shane Bieber is gearing up for his first full season in Toronto after arriving via trade in July. Meanwhile, relievers Yimi Garcia, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, and Braydon Fisher will all be in the fold again.
Rodriguez’s best chance to get called back up is if one of those relievers struggles and/or gets hurt. Garcia had a 3.86 ERA over 22 games last season, while Varland had a 4.94 ERA over 23 appearances after getting traded from the Minnesota Twins. Little had a 3.03 ERA over 79 outings, and Fisher logged a 2.70 ERA over 52 games.
Up next for the Blue Jays after Sunday’s spring training matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays is Opening Day on Friday at home against the Athletics.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.