2026 Transactions: Blue Jays Recall Lee, Mets Sign Slater

An injury to Max Scherzer allowed the Blue Jays to call up Chase Lee on April 27, giving John Schneider another reliever in his bullpen. That was one of several notable moves made across the league on the day, which also saw Jasson Dominguez rejoin the Yankees.

Dominguez back with Yankees

The Yankees officially called up Jasson Dominguez on April 27, part of a roster switch-up that saw Luis Gil move back down to Scranton.

Dominguez, now 23 years old, received the benefit of being able to play every day in Scranton after he did not make the Yankees’ roster out of camp. The switch-hitting outfielder slashed .326/.415/.478 with three home runs and eight extra-base hits over 24 contests with the Railriders.

Flurry of Mets moves

The Mets, a team that now stands at 9-19 after a dizzying first month of the 2026 season, made several moves on April 27.

Tommy Pham was designated for assignment on the 27th, a day after multiple reports indicated that he would be cut. To replace him on the roster, Austin Slater was signed to a Major League deal.

Slater, a right-handed hitting outfielder, slashed .174/.286/.174 in 12 games with the Marlins this season. He started the regular season with Miami, a team that needed outfield depth heading into the year.

Pham went 0-13 with seven strikeouts in his second run with the club.

Additionally, the Mets optioned pitcher Austin Warren to Syracuse, and claimed Eric Wagaman off waivers from the Twins. Wagaman was also optioned to Triple-A.

Blue Jays promote Lee

The Blue Jays recalled pitcher Chase Lee from Triple-A Buffalo.

Lee was acquired this past winter from the Tigers, on the heels of what was a very strong season for the right-hander. The 27-year-old’s innocuous four-seam fastball got a lot of swing-and-miss in the Minors, and he wound up making 32 appearances with the big club in Detroit last season.

Through nine outings this season, Lee struck out 12 over 13.2 IP with the Bisons.

Recalls & options

Sung-Mun Song (Padres), Sammy Peralta (Rockies), Jesus Valdez (D-Backs, Seth Halvorsen (Rockies), and Blas Castano (Rockies) were optioned to Triple-A.