Prior to today’s game with the Padres, the Blue Jays selected the contract of right-hander CJ Van Eyk from Triple-A Buffalo.  Toronto had an open spot on the 40-man roster, and right-hander Chad Dallas was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move.

Trey Yesavage lasted only 1 2/3 innings in Saturday’s 8-7 Jays loss to San Diego, and while Dallas wasn’t one of the four relievers who picked up the slack, Van Eyk’s selection brings a fresh arm into the bullpen.  The 27-year-old Van Eyk will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game.

A second-round pick for the Jays in the 2020 draft, Van Eyk’s career hit an early roadblock when he underwent Tommy John surgery following his 2021 season at high-A Vancouver.  Since returning to action in 2023, Van Eyk has posted unspectacular numbers, though he has a 3.79 ERA and a 7.6% walk rate over 78 1/3 innings (starting 13 of 17 games) for Buffalo this year.

Van Eyk’s strikeout rate is only 17.1%, as his ability to miss bats has continued to decline ever since his TJ procedure.  Van Eyk’s fastball averages a modest 92.9 mph, but that is just one offering in what has been a six-pitch arsenal for the right-hander this season.  The four-seamer, cutter, and curveball are all used more or less evenly, with a changeup, sinker, and slider also deployed less often.

Neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rate Van Eyk within their top-30 rankings of the Toronto farm system, and even it would that if he can stick in the majors, it will be as a long reliever rather than a starter.  The ability to eat innings could still make Van Eyk a useful arm for a Jays team that has been batting pitching injuries all season, and Toronto is still operating without an official fifth starter.