Blue Jays’ Brendon Little left Friday’s game with a lat cramp, could pitch Saturday

That is, without question, the best-case scenario for the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old became a regular with the Blue Jays in June of last season, finishing with a 3.74 ERA and a 4.90 FIP in 45.2 innings pitched. Although his 18.7 K% wasn’t high, Little’s 70.9 ground ball percentage was the third highest in the league.

Through two-thirds of an inning pitched so far this season, Little has struck out every batter he’s faced, which gives him a -3.17 FIP and a 0 ERA. It’s obviously a small sample size, but he had a solid Spring Training as well, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 2.98 FIP in eight innings pitched.

It’s good to know that if the Blue Jays need him on Saturday, he’s available to pitch. But what happens if he or fellow left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady goes down with an injury at some point this season? Knock on wood that doesn’t happen; however, Mason Fluharty could be the first lefty called up from Triple-A Buffalo.

Last season with the Bisons, he had a 3.63 ERA and a 4.15 FIP in 67 innings pitched with a 27.4 K% and a 9 BB% despite sitting around 90 mph with his cutter he uses instead of a fastball. The Blue Jays’ fifth-round pick in 2022 was one of the last players cut in Spring Training, as he had a 1.29 ERA and a 2.30 FIP in seven innings pitched with a 40.7 K% and a 3.7 BB%.

It’s not a matter of if but when Fluharty will be called up this season. Thankfully, it looks like the Blue Jays don’t have to make that decision yet as Brendon Little is good to go.