With the Toronto Blue Jays on the verge of clinching a postseason berth, they’re also comfortable showcasing promising rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage during the heat of a pennant race.
Yesavage, 22, will look to build on his stellar major league debut when the visiting Blue Jays attempt to snap a four-game losing streak and avoid a series sweep by the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
Yesavage (0-0, 1.80 ERA) has made a meteoric rise through the Blue Jays’ system. The trajectory began this season at Class A Dunedin and currently has him in the mix to be a key postseason contributor for Toronto (89-66).
The club’s No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft and the top organizational prospect, Yesavage allowed one run, three hits, two walks and set a club-debut record with nine strikeouts over five innings in a 2-1 victory at Tampa Bay on Monday.
“We thought he could help us win,” Toronto manager John Schneider said of Yesavage, who went 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 25 appearances (22 starts) at different levels of the franchise’s minor league system.
“With that being a little unorthodox at this time of year, a young kid making his debut and where we’re at in the season and the standings, it’s good for everyone else here to see what he can do.”
At the moment, Yesavage can help Toronto get back on track. However, it’s been the offense for the American League East-leading Blue Jays that has been the problem of late, totaling just three runs during the four-game slide.
Following Friday’s embarrassing 20-1 loss in the series opener, Toronto managed only Daulton Varsho’s homer in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat. The Blue Jays have had just one at-bat with runners in scoring position through the first two games of this set.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a single on Saturday but is 2-for-15 in the last four games. He’s 3-for-16 against scheduled Royals starter Michael Wacha (9-12, 3.79 ERA).
Guerrero clubbed a first-inning homer off Wacha on Aug. 1, but the veteran right-hander didn’t yield another run and gave up just two other hits over eight innings in the Royals’ 9-3 victory.
Wacha is 2-2 with a 4.47 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) vs. Toronto.
Wacha will look to rebound from his worst 2025 outing from Tuesday, when he yielded seven runs and nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings of a 12-5 home loss to Seattle. It was Wacha’s return to the Royals rotation after missing a start due to a concussion.
Kansas City (78-77), still mathematically alive in the AL postseason race, has won two straight contests for the first time since a three-game run from Sept. 4-6. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning Saturday off Shane Bieber.
“Just put some runs on the board and we’re going to keep fighting until the end,” Witt told FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City.
Pasquantino has hit safely in 11 straight games and is batting .397 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in the last 16 contests.
–Field Level Media
