The Blue Jays introduced a handful of roster moves Sunday morning, headlined by the membership’s determination to put right-hander Nick Sandlin on the 15-day injured record attributable to a proper lat pressure. Toronto has recalled right-hander Dillon Tate to exchange Sandlin on the roster, and likewise chosen the contract of right-hander Paxton Schultz. Proper-hander Jacob Barnes was designated for task to make room for Schultz on each the 40-man and lively rosters.
Sandlin, 28, got here to Toronto as a part of the commerce that introduced in Andres Gimenez and noticed Spencer Horwitz depart the membership. He had loads of success over time in Cleveland as a center reliever regardless of shaky peripherals, pitching to a 3.27 ERA (126 ERA+) regardless of a 4.41 FIP and an 11.4 p.c stroll fee. Within the early going this 12 months, Sandlin has managed to tighten issues up with a 2.25 ERA and a pair of.77 FIP throughout his first 10 appearances with the Blue Jays. It’s a major loss for the Blue Jays’ bullpen, as each Sandlin and fellow newcomer Jeff Hoffman have each been key cogs in Toronto’s early success this 12 months.
Fortuitously, there are some alerts that this might be a reasonably brief absence. John Schneider advised reporters, together with Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, that the problem Sandlin is presently coping with is one which’s been nagging him for some time, and that they’ve determined to be “proactive” about it somewhat than threat it changing into a bigger concern down the street. Whereas Sandlin will probably be shut down for at the very least a number of days, it appears attainable that he may return comparatively rapidly if the pressure improves throughout that layoff. In any case, he’ll be down for at the very least the following two weeks.
Changing him on the roster in the interim is Tate, who the Jays claimed off waivers from the Orioles again in September. He was non-tendered by Toronto over the offseason however re-signed with them on an enormous league deal again in March. He’s but to look within the majors for the membership this 12 months however has usually been a cromulent center reliever over time, with a 3.89 ERA and a near-matching 3.88 FIP for the reason that begin of the 2021 season. He’ll be joined as a possibility for the center innings by Schultz, a 14th-round choose by the Brewers again in 2019 who has spent nearly all of his skilled profession as a beginning pitcher within the Blue Jays group. Toronto brass moved him to the bullpen final 12 months, and regardless of earlier middling outcomes he’s seemed fairly good in 8 2/3 frames of multi-inning aid work this season with a 2.08 ERA and a 27.2 p.c strikeout fee with Triple-A Buffalo.
Schultz’s addition to the roster is made attainable by the departure of Barnes, a veteran presently in his tenth main league season. Signed to a minor league deal again in February, Barnes impressed throughout camp sufficient to get known as upon to make the Jays’ Opening Day roster however has struggled in eight inning of labor with the membership this 12 months, surrendering 9 runs (eight earned) on ten hits and three walks whereas placing out 5. The Jays can have one week to both commerce Barnes or cross him by way of waivers, at which level he’ll have the chance to both settle for an outright task from the membership or elect free company searching for greener pastures. The proper-hander posted a 4.36 ERA in 66 innings for the Nationals final 12 months and has a profession 4.79 ERA over his decade of labor within the majors.
