There's no doubt that the Toronto Blue Jays did not have an ideal start to the 2026 season. A slew of injuries, particularly to their starting rotation, has meant the team has had to get creative to get through the early part of the schedule.
The Blue Jays have already used 21 pitchers in 2026, plus Tyler Heineman. Chase Lee was number 20 when he made his debut with the Blue Jays. He pitched 1.1 innings in a 5-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Apr. 27. Lee was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo the day after his Blue Jays debut to make space on the roster for Trey Yesavage who became the 21st pitcher to be used by Toronto this season.
Chase Lee is the 20th different pitcher used by the Blue Jays this season.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 28, 2026
In 2006, they used 19 pitchers for the entire campaign
Of the 21 pitchers, six of them were not a part of the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. Lazaro Estrada was called up from Triple-A following Cody Ponce's season-ending injury. Estrada threw four no-hit innings against the Chicago White Sox in his only appearance with the Blue Jays on Apr. 4. He was optioned back to Triple-A the following day, but later added to the 15-day injured list retroactive to Apr. 5.
Blue Jays pitching injuries have increased the volume of pitchers the team has needed
The same day that Estrada was optioned back to Buffalo, the Blue Jays called up Austin Voth and Joe Mantiply. Voth made one appearance with the Blue Jays, giving up one run on three hits in 2.2 innings. He was then designated for assignment when the Blue Jays added Josh Fleming to their roster.
Like Estrada and Voth, Fleming only made one appearance for the Blue Jays. He gave up four runs on six hits against the LA Dodgers. He and Voth both elected free agency after being DFA'd and then returned to Toronto on minor league deals.
Mantiply is the only reliever the Blue Jays have brought in who has lasted more than one outing. Mantiply has handled himself relatively well in his 12 appearances with the team. He's given up four runs on 13 hits with 16 strikeouts. His 2.84 ERA is the fourth-lowest among Blue Jays relievers. Although it is worth noting that he's been used almost exclusively in low-leverage situations.
The only other new addition to the Blue Jays' pitching staff to last more than one outing is Patrick Corbin. Toronto signed Corbin to a one-year, $1 million contract at the beginning of April. The signing wasn't originally met with excitement due to Corbin's poor record in recent years. In 2024, he had a 7-11 record with a 4.40 ERA with the Texas Rangers.
Despite the low expectations, Corbin has come through for the Blue Jays. In five starts Corbin has a 1-0 record with a 3.65 ERA. It's not spectacular, but it's enough to keep the team afloat while they wait for guys to recover from injury.
While the number of pitchers the Blue Jays have used so far may seem concerning, it's worth mentioning that the Blue Jays had used 20 pitchers by this stage of last season. By the end of last year, 34 pitchers had thrown for the Blue Jays and four position players.
The biggest difference for the Blue Jays in 2026 is that the pitching staff has been a game of musical chairs. In 2025, there were only two pitchers who made only one appearance (Casey Lawrence and Robinson Piña). So far in 2026, there are five. In the case of Ponce and Estrada, that's due to injury. As for Lee, he may have lasted longer had the Blue Jays not needed to make space for Yesavage. In any case, the Blue Jays' pitching staff have had to scramble to fill the void left by injuries, and the results so far, have been mixed.