Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Ricky Tiedemann has taken another step in his rehab process, and he’s back to where he started this season. Per TSN’s Scott Mitchell, Tiedemann will report to Triple-A Buffalo this week, and he’s expected to start and throw roughly 80 pitches on Wednesday.
Tiedemann made three starts in Buffalo between March and April to start the season, posting a 5.63 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 11.3 K/9, and a 10.1 BB/9 in only eight innings. He was placed on the IL on April 18th with ulnar nerve inflammation in his left elbow, and he didn’t resume throwing until early May. Tiedemann has made four rehab appearances thus far; one with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays and three with Single-A Dunedin. His one outing with the FCL Blue Jays didn’t go very well as he recorded only one out, allowing two hits, three runs, two walks, and one strikeout.
The further he went in his rehab, however, the more that outing proved to be an anomaly and chalked up to being rusty, as his three outings with Dunedin have been extremely encouraging. In those three appearances, Tiedemann has pitched a total of eight innings, allowing three hits, one run, two walks, and 15 strikeouts. The 15-to-2 K-to-BB ratio is a big takeaway, and the organization is hoping that will be upheld as the competition gets stiffer in Buffalo.
Tiedemann already possesses a lot of intrigue given his prospect status, but a few good starts at Buffalo may push the organization to call him up to the majors. Unless Toronto impresses greatly over the next six games, the team may be closer to selling than they are to buying as the trade deadline approaches. If they are looking to sell, you can bet GM Ross Atkins will be listening to offers on Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassitt, and/or Kevin Gausman. If one or all of them go, there will definitely be a spot for Tiedemann, and this season would be a great time to see what the team has in the 21-year-old lefty.
Ultimately, the team (and fans, I’m sure) are hoping this injury is one of the final roadblocks in Tiedemann’s journey to the majors. Since he was drafted in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft, he has already suffered multiple injuries that have hindered his progress, and it’s triggering some Nate Pearson comparisons. Tiedemann’s stuff is legit, and the organization would love to see it on display on the Rogers Centre mound sooner rather than later.