Blue Jays Call Up Yohendrick Piñango as Injuries Begin to Pile Up
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The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t just making roster moves at this point, they are trying to cover holes everywhere.
With the club sitting at 10-15 near the bottom of the AL East, the Blue Jays selected outfielder Yohendrick Piñango to the Major League roster ahead of Saturday’s game.
At the same time, Nathan Lukes was placed on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring discomfort, and Yimi García was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Individually these moves don’t seem to significant but overall, this is just more evidence of the struggles this organization is facing.
Stretched thin doesn’t begin to describe how this year is going.
Blue Jays Outfield Depth Being Tested
The Blue Jays’ outfield has been fluid throughout the year.
Recent lineups have had combinations of Lukes, Jesus Sanchez and Daulton Varsho. Earlier games showcased Myles Straw and Davis Schneider.
Now another change.
Lukes had provided steady at-bats. In 52 at-bats this season so far, he was slashing .250/.286/.400 with a .725 OPS. He isn’t a power threat by any means, but he did offer consistency and some flexibility.
After going 4-6 in their last 10, the Blue Jays need some consistency.
Lukes absensce will just highlight an already thin group.
That is where Piñango will be ask to step in.
The 23-year-old has put together some solid starts in Triple-A. He is slashing .265/.339/.397 with a .736 OPS across his 22 games so far this season. He added seven doubles, three home runs, and drawn 10 walks. Overall, he has a pretty balanced offensive profile.
The Blue Jays need performance, of course, but the move comes out of necessity. Multiple outfield options have become unavailable. Now, the opportunity presents itself to Piñango.
Injuries Are Forcing the Issue for Toronto
If only it were just the outfield being stretched. This is not an isolated situation.
The Blue Jays are dealing with injuries across the entire roster.
George Springer remains sidelined with his toe fracture, while Addison Barger continues to recover from an ankle sprain. Alejandro Kirk is being missed behind the plate due to thumb surgery.
On the pitching side, José Berríos is getting closer to returning from an elbow injury but multiple other arms including Shane Bieber and Yimi Garcia are still unavailable.
At this point Toronto isn’t just adjusting, they are trying to plug the holes in a ship that is quickly filling with water.
Bullpen Depth Takes Another Hit
While the outfield changes may be short-lived, the pitching impacts look to be lingering on.
Garcia’s transfer to the 60-day IL is disheartening. He is a veteran reliever in the bullpen and a presence that produced results.
During the incredible 2025 season, Garcia appeared in 22 games with a 3.86 ERA. He recorded three saves in seven opportunities, logging 21 innings pitched.
Even if a late-season return is a possibility, he will have a long build-up process.
Bullpen depth is becoming crutial and the Blue Jays are starting to have limited options.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com