Patrick Corbin’s Blue Jays Minor League Debut Went Exactly How Fans Hoped
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The Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation has been decimated by injuries this season, but help is coming fast — maybe faster than expected.
Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Beiber and Jose Berrios are all injured and returning at various times. That leaves Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Dylan Cease and Eric Lauer are the final four starters standing.
Due to the cluster of injuries, Toronto went out and signed Patrick Corbin, who made his first minor-league start on Saturday, roughly 12 hours after his signing was announced. He wasn't signed with a team this offseason, didn't compete for a spot in spring training, but remained ready for a call, and he delivered.
On Saturday night, he threw five innings, allowing one run which was unearned, four hits and striking out nine. He threw 74 pitches which is surprisingly high and exciting to see. His dominance was expected since he's pitching to Low-A players who are 18-20 years old, but the innings and pitch count are a huge bonus.
It's uncertain whether he'll make one more start to bulk up before joining the big league club, but he looked ready to go on Saturday.
Corbin has been around the league a long time, and has produced consistent numbers for years. He owns a lifetime 4.51 ERA, but four of the last five seasons it's been 5.20 of higher. On the bright side, his best season since the shortened 2020 season was last year, where he posted a 4.40 ERA.
Patrick Corbin Could Make His Blue Jays Debut As Early as Next Week
Another great thing about Corbin is his availability. Over his career, excluding 2020, he's posted eight consecutive 30-plus start seasons. Availability is the most important factor for Toronto right now, and Corbin clearly has it. Even after not being a part of a team in spring, it's incredibly impressive to see him dominate and pitch five innings straight out of the gate.
In all likelihood, he'll make one more start and be ready to go. Even if he doesn't it seems as though he could be promoted now and be perfectly fine, but seeing how his body response the day after his start is important.
While some of the injured pitchers are working their way back sooner than others, it's unclear how many starts Corbin will make this year. Yesavage will likely return first, but he has just one 2.2 inning rehab start under his belt. Pitchers are allowed a maximum of 30 days for minor-league rehab assignments, so if Corbin pitches well, Toronto may slow-play Yesavage's return.
For now, it's Corbin's time to shine, and prove his $1 million year contract was worth it.
Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.