Outfielder Joey Loperfido, one of the three players the Blue Jays acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for Yusei Kikuchi on Monday, is on his way to join the team in Baltimore as they continue a four-game series with the Orioles, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
Davidi noted that it’s uncertain whether Loperfido will arrive in time for Tuesday’s game between the Blue Jays and Orioles, which starts at 6:35 PM ET. But if he does, Loperfido will be able to join the team’s active roster in the spot previously held by Justin Turner, who was traded to the Seattle Mariners.
Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Loperfido started the 2024 season in Triple-A and was called up to make his Major League debut in late April. He went 13-for-39 with one home run over his first 14 games with the club and was opted back down to the minors. Loperfido bounced between Sugar Land and Houston a few times but has remained with the big-league team since mid-June.
The 25-year-old left-hander has slashed a .272/.365/.568 line with 13 home runs and nine stolen bases in 39 games at the Triple-A level in 2024 and he has a .236/.299/.358 line with two homers and two stolen bases in 38 games with the Astros. According to FanGraphs, Loperfido has had a positive impact defensively playing all three outfield positions for Houston.
The Blue Jays will also need to find a starter to pitch in Kikuchi’s spot in the rotation for the series finale in Baltimore on Wednesday. A possibility for the Blue Jays in right-hander Jake Bloss, who was also acquired from Houston in the Kikuchi trade. Bloss posted a 1.64 ERA between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A before getting called up to the Astros in June. He has a 6.94 ERA across three starts at the Major League level and his most recent start came last Tuesday against the Oakland A’s.