{"id":148265,"date":"2025-08-15T16:39:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/148265\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T16:39:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:39:14","slug":"blue-jays-notes-vladimir-guerrero-jr-s-surge-trey-yesavages-development-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/148265\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Jays notes: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.\u2019s surge, Trey Yesavage\u2019s development and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 The Toronto Blue Jays snatched a series win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The 2-1 victory came on the back of seven efficient innings from Max Scherzer and a clutch late-game blast from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with both players in the midst of their season\u2019s best stretches.<\/p>\n

The Jays held the second-best offence in baseball to just six runs across three contests, expanding their American League East lead to five games. Here are four takeaways from the series and key decisions Toronto will face in the coming days.<\/p>\n

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.\u2019s second-half surge returns<\/p>\n

Guerrero leaned against his locker ahead of a late-July contest, expressing a quiet confidence. He\u2019d hit just one home run in the previous 16 games, on pace for his fewest in a full season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe home runs are going to come,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cAnd I know when they come, they\u2019re going to come a tonne.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Guerrero has seven home runs in 20 games \u2014 a 56-homer full-season pace. He\u2019s hit .367 in that stretch with an OPS over 1.100. On Thursday, the franchise slugger launched a two-run shot to left field, scoring Toronto\u2019s only runs. He paused for a moment after connecting with the pitch, holding his bat up in obvious celebration. The homer came on a curveball on the outside edge of the plate, but there was no struggle for Guerrero to reach it.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest with you,\u201d Guerrero said through team interpreter Hector Lebron, \u201cI saw that pitch right down the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guerrero\u2019s recent run is a mirror of his second-half surge from 2024, when he hit .376 with a 1.127 OPS after the All-Star break. That late-summer success was a footnote in a 74-win season, with the team already out of contention. This year, on a team fighting for a pennant, Guerrero\u2019s ascendance holds real meaning.<\/p>\n

An impending roster decision<\/p>\n

George Springer cleared concussion protocol Wednesday and joined the Buffalo Bisons for a brief rehab assignment. He could return to the big leagues as early as Friday, John Schneider said.<\/p>\n

Whenever Springer is ready, the Jays are faced with a difficult decision. With Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez healthy and optionable players like Joey Loperfido and Davis Schneider flourishing, there\u2019s no obvious demotion. For the last few weeks, the Jays manager noted these sorts of choices often have a way of working themselves out. But Springer is nearly back and no move is clear.<\/p>\n

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How about a double 105.8 MPH off the bat of George Springer!? \ud83d\ude80 @BlueJays<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HdHNoTbrpW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) August 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a good problem to have,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cBut you probably know you\u2019re going to disappoint somebody at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the Jays want to keep every player in the organization, they\u2019ll send down Loperfido or Schneider. But both hitters have an OPS over .820 and are batting over .295 in August. Other options at the end of Toronto\u2019s roster are Myles Straw and Ty France, though both would need to be designated for assignment. Straw is well-liked in the clubhouse, a defensive whiz and a key part of Toronto\u2019s small-ball success. France, acquired at the deadline, is hitting .343 in 11 games since joining the Jays.<\/p>\n

Perhaps a lefty-masher like Schneider becomes the undeserved casualty. After Saturday\u2019s scheduled contest against southpaw Patrick Corbin, the Jays are expected to face six-straight right-handed pitchers. But there is no easy choice and, so far, the decision has not worked itself out.<\/p>\n

Home run issue persists<\/p>\n

Scherzer carved through five innings on just 50 pitches, dotting first-pitch strikes to 10 of his first 11 batters faced Thursday. In many ways, he was flawless \u2014 except for one pitch. The veteran starter left a curveball in the middle of the zone in the sixth inning, and Michael Busch slammed it into the right-field bleachers. It was Chicago\u2019s only run.<\/p>\n

The Jays overcame that homer thanks to Guerrero\u2019s two-run blast. The long balls haven\u2019t held Toronto back from a first-place record, but they\u2019ve persisted as an undeniable trend. Blue Jays pitchers are fifth in strikeouts. They\u2019ve allowed fewer walks than average and are top-10 in hits allowed. But the team entered Thursday\u2019s finale with the fifth-most homers against this season. Since the trade deadline, Toronto\u2019s starters have allowed 12 homers in 12 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we self-assess every couple weeks,\u201d Schneider said, \u201cthe home runs allowed is kind of always a glaring thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jays have been \u201cbanging their heads\u201d all year, Schneider said, trying to solve the homer issue. It\u2019s really the one weakness for an otherwise solid staff. Early on, they attempted altering pitch sequencing. They\u2019ve asked catchers to adjust glove placement, hoping to lead pitches to the edges of the zone.<\/p>\n

The diagnosis, Schneider said, is missing down the middle. Toronto\u2019s pitchers want to be the aggressor, Kevin Gausman said, and those early strikes come with a cost. Pitches in the zone are easier to hit.<\/p>\n

The Jays pitchers aren\u2019t particularly nasty, either, thriving more on deception and location. They rank 24th in Stuff+, so the margin for error is lower. They can sequence and deceive all they want, but ultimately, managing mistakes is key.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Trey Yesavage pitching during the 2025 All-Star Futures Game. (Kevin C. Cox \/ Getty Images)Trey Yesavage\u2019s path to a big-league debut<\/p>\n

Last season, 37 rookies debuted in September, with seven joining 2025 playoff teams. Five pitchers came up in the final month for October-bound squads, and all but one pitched postseason games in relief. Yesavage could do the same for this year\u2019s Jays.<\/p>\n

Guys like Cleveland\u2019s Erik Sabrowski and the Los Angeles Dodgers\u2019 Edgardo Henriquez were minor-league relievers who pushed up into big-league bullpens last year. But Detroit\u2019s Jackson Jobe is the best comparison for Yesavage.<\/p>\n

2024 postseason rookie pitchers<\/p>\nPitcherTeamIPERAPlayoff IPPlayoff ERA<\/tr>\n\n\n\n

Guardians<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

12 2\/3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

0.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

5 1\/3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

1.69<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n

Guardians<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

8 2\/3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

0.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

3.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n

Dodgers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

3 1\/3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

2.70<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

7.20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n

Tigers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

0.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

1 2\/3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n

16.20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Jobe debuted in his third full professional season, while Yesavage is knocking down the door in his first. Like Yesavage, the Tigers righty jumped three minor-league levels last year, skyrocketing up prospect rankings before entering Detroit\u2019s bullpen on Sept. 25. Jobe owns elite stuff, with at least three plus pitches. He appeared in two regular-season games and two playoff contests.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a balance between urgency, development and logistics for the promotion of top prospects like Yesavage. On the one hand, the Jays don\u2019t have an open 40-man spot, and he technically wouldn\u2019t need to be placed on the roster during the offseason. The righty is 22 years old in his first professional season, with just 20 minor-league outings. He lasted just 1 2\/3 innings in his Triple-A debut Thursday, allowing two runs on one hit and four walks.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also rapidly adjusted to every minor-league level, even after early bumps. Reaching sky-high to hurl 95 mph fastballs, he has the sort of funky delivery that could confound big-league hitters seeing him for the first time. Like Jobe, Yesavage could join a playoff push and make an immediate impact. But he\u2019ll have to earn the spot.<\/p>\n

(Photo: Jonathan Hui \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n