Blue Jays Boss Concerns Fans with Trey Yesavage Innings News Before Rookie Year
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The Toronto Blue Jays went into the offseason prepared for a much shorter period of time to ramp up after their playoff run went as long as possible all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.
One of the heroes of that run was of course young pitcher Trey Yesavage, who put his tantalizing talent on full display while pitching on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. Following such an incredible playoffs, it makes sense that the expectation for the young right-hander is to be a huge part of Toronto's plan in 2026.
That doesn't mean the Blue Jays are going to rush him into workhorse status though, and it seems they are working Yesavage into the rotation cautiously with a slow ramp up this spring.
Toronto manager John Schneider talked about the build up for the 22-year-old after revealing he would not make his Grapefruit League debut until next week. It certainly seemed Schneider is trying to temper expectations around how much work fans can expect to see from Yesavage this year in terms of workload.
Blue Jays Bringing Yesavage Along Slowly This Spring
"It's a little slower, obviously, just because he went from having the probably longest offseason possible after he gets drafted to the shortest one possible after his first full year," Schneider said via Shi Davidi of SportsNet on Yesavage's ramp up.
"Trying to be strategic. Looking at the broad picture, I think it would be unrealistic to say, all right, 'Trey, first year in the big leagues, here's your 32 starts and your 200 innings.' We're trying to stay aware of that. And there are probably going to be some times where you have to hone him in a little bit and if you can maneuver the rotation a little bit, yeah. But he's on a little bit of a different ramp up."
While this is likely the correct way to bring along a young pitcher who already threw a huge workload he may not have been prepared for late in the year, it would be a tough pill for Toronto fans to swallow if Yesavage is on an innings restriction to start the year.
What Can Blue Jays Expect from Yesavage's 2026 Workload?
Between the minor leagues, three MLB starts in the regular season and the playoffs, Yesavage threw 139.2 innings in 2025, and this was with a full offseason. Coming off a much shorter one, expecting more than that likely was never going to be realistic for 2026.
If everything goes well and Yesavage proves he can handle the workload, perhaps a 150 inning season is not out of the realm of possibility, but Toronto will and should be thinking long-term with the potential future All-Star.
While it would be disappointing to see a limited workload for the exciting young ace, it would be downright devastating to see him lost for the year entirely due to injury. Yesavage is coming, but it may be a slower process and the Blue Jays are not going to rush him along.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.