Two important Blue Jays began rehab assignments in Triple A on Monday.
Catcher Danny Jansen and Yimi García appeared in the Buffalo Bisons contest against the Syracuse Mets. Jansen went 1/2 with a walk while Garía completed a hitless inning with two strikeouts.
Jansen has been out since June 8 with a bone fracture in his pinky finger while García joined the injured list on June 24 with a back strain and is eligible for activation later this week.
When healthy, Jansen has been dynamite at the plate in 2022. The righty had seven homers in 19 games with a .915 around two IL appearances. García, on the other hand, has been quietly crucial for Toronto's bullpen. As a primary set-up man, the 31-year-old owns a 3.42 ERA and 3.42 FIP in 26.1 innings.
García should immediately rejoin the Blue Jays' bullpen after his rehab assignment, while Jansen's move back to the MLB roster would have a broader ripple effect.
The Blue Jays currently have three catchers on the roster, and while they could option Zack Collins back to Triple A and continue to carry a trie of backstops playing time becomes difficult.
With Alejandro Kirk playing at an All-Star level and limited DH at-bats available, finding starts for Jansen and young catcher Gabriel Moreno alongside Kirk is difficult. A pending trade is unlikely, but with Jansen coming back to the big leagues, Moreno may be heading back to the Bisons to continue his development.
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