Why Patrick Corbin is Ready to Make Blue Jays Debut After Just One Start

The Toronto Blue Jays added left-hander Patrick Corbin to bolster the rotation and he’s more ready than most starters after just one minor league appearance.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Patrick Corbin. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Patrick Corbin could be a savior for the Toronto Blue Jays rotation. The proof is in how he worked out for the Texas Rangers last year.

Corbin signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays on Friday. This past weekend in Dunedin, Fla., he made a minor league start for Toronto's Class A affiliate. On Wednesday, the Blue Jays called him up to the active roster with the intention of starting him on Friday.

It sounds ludicrous that a 36-year-old pitcher could be ready to throw in a Major League game in less than a week. But Corbin may be far more prepared than Blue Jays fans might expect.

Why Patrick Corbin Could be Ready Now

Texas Rangers pitcher Patrick Corbin. | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Last season the Rangers were in a tough spot during spring training. They lost Jon Gray to a fractured wrist and were having trouble coaxing a solid spring out of first-round pick Kumar Rocker.

Texas signed Corbin to a one-year deal on March 18. Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young wasn't entirely sure when Corbin would be ready. But when the former Washington Nationals star spoke to beat writers, he made it clear that he had been building up on his own working off a mound near his home in Florida. Still, when camp broke, the Rangers sent him to their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock.

Corbin didn't even make a minor league start for Round Rock. Texas called him up to the majors after Jack Leiter went on the injured list with a blister. Corbin made his first start less than a month after he was signed on a frigid night in Chicago against the Cubs. He went four innings and threw 74 pitches, allowing five hits and three earned runs.

It wasn't much different than what he did with Dunedin over the weekend. He threw 74 pitches, went five innings, allowed four hits and one run. He struck out nine and walked one. Given that he was facing rookie-league batters, it's not a surprise he dominated in terms of strikeouts.

That's why it isn't a stretch to think that Corbin could come into the rotation and make an impact immediately. For a rotation that has been rocked by injuries and no end in sight, Corbin can give the bullpen the coverage that it hasn't gotten the past week. For instance, from May to July of last season he gave the Rangers at least five innings in 16 straight starts.

If he could do that for the Blue Jays, he would help soften the blow for a battered rotation until Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios can return from the injured list. It may end up being one of Toronto’s most important signings this season.