Blue Jays’ top prospect Ricky Tiedemann to throw a live bullpen session later this week

This season in Triple-A, Tiedemann has a 5.63 ERA and a 10.42 FIP in eight innings pitched. For a pitcher who has always had a K% above 30% in his professional career, it dropped like a rock to 23.8%. Command and control was a concern in Tiedemann’s game in 2023, but it ballooned all the way up to 21.4% prior to his injury. He last pitched on April 11.

Beginning the season, it was believed the Toronto Blue Jays had a ton of depth in their rotation. Their first four starters were set, as José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi, and Chris Bassitt were always going to be the core of their rotation.

However, there was a lot of fight for the fifth spot in the rotation, but it seemed like Alek Manoah had the upper hand. Well, he got injured, leaving Bowden Francis to start the season in the spot before poor performance moved him to the bullpen, plus an injury two games after. Yariel Rodríguez filled in before he was also injured. Mitch White and Wes Parsons were also seen as depth, but both were traded.

It took just over two months for the Blue Jays depth to disintegrate and Tuesday’s game will be a sign of that. With Manoah going down once again due to injury in his latest outing, reliver Trevor Richards will make the start for the Jays against the Baltimore Orioles.

Richards had brief success as a starter in 2023, pitching nine innings with a 3 ERA and a 4.03 FIP with a 40 K% and a 8.6 BB%. However, he’s not a long-term solution to their problem, meaning that either Francis or Rodríguez will have to fill in. Perhaps they’ll even give Paolo Espino another shot.

Who knows, but it’s good to see that the team’s top prospect is back on track.

me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.