
Elbow surgery for Jake Bloss another blow to Blue Jays' lean pitching depth
The Blue Jays' seemingly neverending quest for starting pitching depth has taken yet another major hit with word that the team's sixth-ranked prospect, Jake Bloss, will be lost for at least a year as he faces reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.
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It's yet another blow for the team's young contingent of starting prospects as he joins Ricky Tiedemann as the latest to go under the knife for a variation of Tommy John surgery. Tiedemann, who was the Jays' fourth-ranked prospect at the time, had his surgery last July.
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Bloss, the 23-year-old who was acquired in the trade deadline swap that sent Yusei Kikuchi to Houston last summer, last pitched for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on May 3 in Iowa, leaving with arm soreness after 3.1 innings of work.
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Three days later, he was placed on the seven-day injured list and was evaluated by team doctors in Toronto. Further consultation led to the decision on surgery, which manager John Schneider revealed at the Rogers Centre prior to Tuesday's meeting with the Tampa Bay Rays to begin a nine-game home stand.
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As if that wasn't bad enough for a team without a true fifth starter, Schneider also revealed veteran Max Scherzer has been shut down from throwing with tightness in his back. The team doesn't expect it to be a lengthy setback and Schneider noted the veteran's thumb continues to improve.
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Still, the news was glum for the Jays' rotational depth struggles that have been an ongoing saga since Scherzer exited early in his first start with the Jays back in March.
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The loss of Bloss is undoubtedly a rough one for the Jays, though, given the expectations the team had. A third-round selection by the Astros in 2023, Bloss was a coveted piece in the Kikuchi deal and the Jays were further enthused by his progress.
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After a rough couple of starts with the Bisons to start his 2025 season, Bloss was turning things around to the point he was projected to be added to the Jays' roster at some point this season. In fact, general manager Ross Atkins recently mentioned Bloss as a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation that has been in flux for much of the season.
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In other injury news, catcher Alejandro Kirk was not in the lineup on Tuesday after taking a bat to the head in Seattle on Sunday. Schneider said Kirk cleared all concussion tests and would be available if needed for the opener of the three-team home stand for the 20-20 Jays.
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Winnipeg Free Press
30 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays' explores baseball team's 48-year history
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CBC
32 minutes ago
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Katzberg captures 5th straight hammer throw win of season, topping 80 metres in Norway
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Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
New book explores Blue Jays' 48-year history
TORONTO – Toronto Blue Jays brass used all the bells and whistles when they tried to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in the fall of 2023. The once-in-a-lifetime pursuit of the Japanese free agent, as author Keegan Matheson writes in his new book, 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' included taking Ohtani, his agent and interpreter at the time on a tour of the team's renovated player development complex, complete with a few special touches. Three lockers in the clubhouse were set aside for Ohtani, along with jerseys, gear, hats, bags and accessories. It was all part of an elaborate effort to sell him on the team. An impressed Ohtani — whose camp wanted total secrecy throughout the process — walked out of the Dunedin, Fla., facility with bags of team gear and a Blue Jays hat on his head, Matheson writes. Story continues below advertisement Ohtani stopped to take pictures with his interpreter, who was also sporting some Toronto kit. The superstar's dog, 'Decoy,' came running out to join them in a Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him. 'I think that the presentation they gave Ohtani was incredibly impressive and they were not the No. 2 team just to be strung along and used as the other person at the bargaining table,' said Matheson. 'They were No. 2 because they almost signed him.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The behind-the-scenes colour and details from Matheson's interviews and descriptions bring an intriguing, memorable and downright surreal chapter in the team's near half-century history to life. Ohtani would eventually sign a 10-year, US$700-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a big blow for Canada's lone big-league team and its countrywide contingent of supporters. Story continues below advertisement The Blue Jays would eventually sign a big fish of their own, locking up star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year extension last April worth a team record $500 million. The megadeal helped soothe any lingering pain from the Ohtani situation and also showed the franchise was willing to spend big in an effort to be a consistent contender. But that Ohtani off-season — from a bizarre Zoom call with general manager Ross Atkins to the erroneous report that Ohtani had chosen the Blue Jays and was on a plane to Toronto — was the 'strangest experience' Matheson expects to have as a reporter. 'The game that went into it was really fascinating,' Matheson said in a recent interview. 'Trying to operate in secrecy in a world where we want to know everything that's going on with your favourite team and with your favourite player. 'This was more of a TV drama and the amount of work that went into keeping it secret fascinates me.' The book also explores the team's early days, the playoff successes in the early 1990s, the near-misses in the previous decade, and many of the players — on and off the field — who made it all happen. The stories and anecdotes are not always the obvious ones. From players sipping chicken noodle soup at a frigid Exhibition Stadium, to amusing tales of manager-athlete dynamics, to the homecoming after a 670-day break between home games due to COVID-19, Matheson touches all the bases. Story continues below advertisement 'Instead of asking a pitcher why he lost or asking someone why they struck out three times, this was an opportunity to ask someone, 'Hey, tell me about the best days of your life,'' said Matheson, who covers the team for 'Tell me about that memory that everyone always asks you about at the bar, at golf tournaments and coffee shops.' 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' a 302-page book published by Triumph Books, is available now at a retail price of $38. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.