Two Important Numbers in Trey Yesavage’s Latest Blue Jays Rehab Game
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Of all the pitchers the Toronto Blue Jays have on their injured list, Trey Yesavage is the one closest to being of help to them soon.
While other pitchers are still working through bullpens and live batting practice, he is the one throwing live rehab games with an affiliate. His second outing was on Thursday with Class A Dunedin, which is where he started last season as a prospect before his swift rise through the organization led to his September call up and his instrumental role in getting Toronto to the World Series.
On paper, the numbers didn’t look great. He pitched 2.2 innings, gave up four hits and four runs and allowed a walk. He did strike out six and his ERA after two games is 8.44. But those are not the numbers that matter in games like this. For Yesavage and his immediate Blue Jays future, two numbers stand out.
The Two Important Numbers in Trey Yesavage’s Rehab Game
The first number is 52. That’s how many pitches he threw on Thursday. He threw 44 pitches in his first rehab game last week. That’s a marginal step, but an important one. His right shoulder impingement prevented him from a proper build up during spring training. So, while graduating from 44 to 52 pitches doesn't sound like much, it's meaningful in terms of paving his road back to Toronto.
It likely means at least one more rehab start. But getting him to 65 or 70 pitches might allow Toronto to bring him back after that next start and piggyback a long reliever off him to get him back in the rotation.
The other number is his velocity. He topped 96.1 mph on his fastball. More importantly, per Baseball Savant, he maintained that velocity for most of the game. Building up for Major League play means being able to maintain velocity over multiple innings. That’s a good sign for Yesavage that his arm is getting stronger.
It’s a good sign for Toronto, too, as Yesavage must in the Majors by May as he can only remain on a rehab assignment for 30 days.
The Blue Jays are nursing a myriad of injuries right now, many of which are on its pitching staff. On Wednesday, the Blue Jays announced that right-handed starter Cody Ponce would likely miss the season after he underwent surgery to repair an ACL sprain to his right knee.
Shane Bieber is working through right elbow inflammation and wrapped up a recent bullpen but hasn’t thrown a rehab game yet. José Berríos is dealing with a right elbow stress fracture and recently threw a live batting practice. Max Scherzer left his last start early with right forearm tendinitis but intends to make his next start on Sunday. Reliever Yimi Garcia is rehabbing from right elbow surgery and is throwing bullpen sessions.
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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