Jays Lose Pitchers, Scramble for Rotation

0:00On April 9th, Toronto Blue Jays pitching depth took another hit as lefty Josh Fleming and righty Austin Voth cleared waivers and elected free agency. Both got designated for assignment this week after short stints on minor league deals with the team. Fleming came up to relieve Max Scherzer, who left early with four armed tendonitis while Voth filled in during some bullpen chaos. Earlier this week, the Jays shuffled arms due to injuries piling up. Cody Ponds suffered a right knee ACL sprain in his debut, needing surgery and missing significant time on his new three-year $30 million dollar. Deal. Lazaro Estrata guy recalled, pitched four innings in a bullpen game, then got sent back down and now he's on the minor's injured list. Fans and analysts see this as a symptom of Toronto's rotation woes, with Shane Bieber, Jose Barrios, and Trey Yesavage also sideline early. The team started strong with Kevin Gossman, Dylan Seas, Eric Lauer, and Scherzer, but now they're scrambling for a fifth starter short term.

1:00Voth and Fleming bring solid swingman experience, but the Jays might not have paths open right away. Both pitches have passable big league resumes. Voth with 363 innings over 200 games and a 4.69 ERA. Fleming at 257 innings with a 4.86 mark and elite ground ball rates. They qualify for free agency with prior outright in service time, so they're shopping offers now. The Jays could circle back for resigns as that's common here, especially with their depth still shaky and off days not fully covering gaps. Keep an eye on how Toronto stabilizes the staff while those injured arms work back. That's your update from MLB News today, powered by AI.