It looks like the Toronto Blue Jays will soon be getting some reinforcements to their active roster.
According to TSN’s Scott Mitchell, relievers Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson are expected to pitch for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Thursday. Mitchell added that if all goes well, both pitchers should be ready to return from the 10-day Injured List in the coming days.
Romano has been among baseball’s best closers over the past few seasons. He was named an American League All-Star in both 2022 and 2023 and picked up 36 saves in back-to-back years. Most recently, Romano posted a 2.90 ERA for the Blue Jays in 2023 and struck out 72 batters over 59 innings of work.
The Markham, Ontario native made five appearances during Spring Training before being shut down due to elbow inflammation.
Swanson was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade involving Teoscar Hernandez shortly after the 2022 playoffs. In his first season in Toronto, Swanson was leaned on as a set-up guy in the late innings before Romano came in for a closing situation. He put up a 2.97 ERA over 69 appearances and also recorded four saves.
The right-hander appeared in only two Spring Training games and was shut down because of forearm tightness. Swanson also missed time during training camp as his four-year-old son was hospitalized after being struck by an SUV in Florida. Thankfully, Swanson’s son survived the incident and was released from intensive care a few days later.
With Romano and Swanson on the Injured List, the Blue Jays have used veterans Yimi Garcia and Chad Green in the eighth and ninth innings of tight games. Garcia has allowed just one run over four appearances while Green has the team’s lone save so far this season.
Another update from Mitchell is that catcher Danny Jansen is tracking to return to the team before the end of April. Jansen was hit in the hands during a Spring Training game and suffered a fractured pisiform bone at the base of his right wrist.
Getting Jansen’s bat back will be a nice boost for the Blue Jays. Last season, he slugged 17 home runs in 86 games and slashed a .228/.312/.474 line. In Jansen’s absence, Alejandro Kirk and third-string catcher Brian Serven have combined to go 6-for-39 at the plate with four walks and nine strikeouts.
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