Toronto Blue Jays prospect Ricky Tiedemann has been activated off the injury list and has returned to Triple-A Buffalo, signaling a potential late-season call-up to the Blue Jays bullpen. But it is contingent on his health, workload management and performance in Triple-A. 

The 23-year-old has made significant strides in his recovery and has been ramping up from Tommy John surgery with several rehab assignments in the minors. 

In his return to Triple-A on Wednesday afternoon, he pitched one inning giving up no hits or runs with one walk and threw 11 pitches with six strikes. His fastball sat at 96.7 mph and topped out at 97.8 mph, showcasing how the former Blue Jays top prospect is getting back on track. 

Since he missed all of 2025 and it's been over two years since he last made an appearance in Triple-A (July 2024), his pitching workload will face strict limits for the remainder of the season. 

Ricky Tiedemann could help fill a void in the Blue Jays bullpen, but he must stay healthy

Tiedemann would help fill a bullpen need for the Blue Jays as they have a shortage of left-handed relievers in the majors, especially since southpaw Adam Macko was traded to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 3 for infielder Josh Smith and right-handed minor-league pitcher Josh Stephan. 

Their only healthy southpaws in the bullpen are Mason Fluharty and Brendon Little, so promoting Tiedemann for a late-season call-up would provide them with an enticing lefty whose fastball can top in the upper 90s. He's looking to make a comeback after being the Blue Jays' top prospect in 2023 and 2024. 

All in all, the most critical thing for Tiedemann will be to remain healthy as he inches closer to the majors as he looks to make his long-awaited debut. 

While the Blue Jays still target him as a starter for the future, having him pitch in a relief role will help him navigate his pitch workload and prepare him for a bigger role in their rotation.