Blue Jays News: Pitching depth suffers setback as three players expected to begin season on injured list

The Toronto Blue Jays rotation situation isn’t ideal. The franchise is dealing with an injury situation, with three of their pitching staff on the injured list (IL).

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed that Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson and most probably Alex Manoah will start the 2024 season on the injured list.

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins is hopeful that Romano and Swanson will make their return to the field within a month, saying (via ESPN):

“They both look great. They’re recovering well. They feel strong. Barring the setbacks, I think this could be a minimal stint.”

Romano is dealing with elbow inflammation and Swanson is with forearm tightness. Both players underwent MRIs but no major issues were found.

Jordan Romano has been a standout player for Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen maintaining an impressive 2.29 ERA over the past four seasons.

The franchise acquired Erik Swanson in last offseason’s trade with the Seattle Mariners involving Teoscar Hernandez.

In his first season with the Blue Jays, Swanson performed well with a 2.97 ERA. Over the past three seasons, he has successfully maintained a solid 2.60 ERA.

Alex Manoah to be placed on 15-day IL due to a shoulder injury

On Wednesday, Alex Manoah who is dealing with a shoulder injury threw 34 pitches over two innings in a simulated game.

Talking about his progress, Ross Atkins said (via ESPN):

“He’s just a little bit behind. I think you could just look at the workload today. He threw two innings and he was exceptional. This stuff was electric. He’s moving really well. His mindset is incredible.”

Manoah is likely to be placed on the 15-day injured list to regain strength in his shoulder, which was causing him problems during spring training.

He is coming off a terrible 2023 season, going 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA and was also sent to minor leagues multiple times during the season.

In contrast, 2022 was a much better year for Manoah. He had a record of 16 wins and seven losses with an impressive 2.24 ERA. The 26-year-old was selected as an All Star and finished third in the America League Cy Young Award voting.