{"id":638454,"date":"2026-03-23T05:35:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T05:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/638454\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T05:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T05:35:19","slug":"rhps-yariel-rodriguez-angel-bastardo-left-off-of-toronto-blue-jays-opening-day-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/638454\/","title":{"rendered":"RHPs Yariel Rodriguez, Angel Bastardo left off of Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 Opening Day roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>\u2019 Opening Day roster is beginning to take shape.<\/p>\n

MLB.com\u2019s Keegan Matheson reports that manager John Schneider informed right-handed pitchers Yariel Rodriguez<\/a> and Angel Bastardo<\/a> that they will not open the season with the big-league club.<\/p>\n

John Schneider has told Angel Bastardo and Yariel Rodr\u00edguez that they have not made the Opening Day roster.<\/p>\n

He still has a few of those conversations left before the 26-man is finalized. #BlueJays<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Rodriguez, 29, was designated for assignment by Toronto in January after struggling in the later parts of the 2025 season. He went unclaimed and stayed in the organization, but failed to lock up his spot on the 26-man roster for Opening Day.<\/p>\n

The Camaguey, Cuba native pitched to a 3.08 earned-run average with 66 strikeouts and 34 walks across 73 innings pitched in his 66 appearances for the Blue Jays last season. <\/p>\n

He logged just 2 2\/3 innings during the Postseason, recording a 10.13 ERA and a 2.250 WHIP, and was left off of the World Series roster entirely as the Blue Jays would go on to lose in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez allowed nine hits and seven runs in three innings pitched this spring with Toronto, but impressed at the World Baseball Classic with just one earned run and four hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings pitched for Cuba.<\/p>\n

He signed a five-year, $32 million deal with Toronto ahead of the 2024 season after a stint with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan\u2019s Nippon Professional Baseball league.<\/p>\n

Bastardo, a 2025 Rule 5 pick, will now be offered back to the Boston Red Sox<\/a> after failing to make the 26-man roster.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old Venezuelan did not appear at any level last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and got back into game action this spring where he allowed four earned runs and seven walks in 7 2\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

Bastardo owns a career 9-21 record with a 4.76 ERA across 78 games pitched in five years at various levels of Boston\u2019s minor-league system.<\/p>\n

Toronto can still attempt to trade for his rights to keep him within the organization.<\/p>\n

The defending American League Champions open the 2026 season in March 27 at home against the Athletics<\/a>. <\/p>\n