Digging through Blue Jays’ potential September call-ups

What could complicate the timing of Keys’ return, however, is that Josh Smith (hamstring strain) is eligible to return from the 10-day IL as early as Aug. 30. At that point, if Daz Cameron — responsible for a pair of pivotal ABs on the club’s most recent road trip through Tampa Bay and New York — keeps hold of his roster spot, the club could decide to delay Smith’s activation until Sep. 1, making him their 14th position player.

That would then leave Keys on the outside looking in. That is, unless someone else is subtracted from the roster to make room. Perhaps it ends up being Cameron, who’s out of minor-league options and would be subject to waivers. But that might create an influx of left-handed bats again. So maybe the move becomes swapping a lefty for another lefty, and given Jesús Sánchez’s underwhelming campaign and recent struggles to generate power — he’s slugging just .371 in 15 games since his return from the IL — it’s possible he could be on the chopping block.

Jay Harry

Acquired from the Minnesota Twins’ system in the 2024 Trevor Richards trade, Harry’s development has arguably soared higher than any position player in Toronto’s pipeline this season.

He hit well below the Mendoza Line in 44 games with Double-A New Hampshire last season. Now, the versatile 24-year-old is nearing the conclusion of a breakout year, during which he’s slashed .322/.364/.548 with 13 home runs, 70 RBIs and a 137 wRC+ across 84 games split between Double-A and Triple-A.

If an opportunity arises, the 2023 sixth-round selection could cap off his remarkable year by debuting in The Show. 

Had it not been for an IL stint late last month, Harry — who isn’t on the 40-man roster and will become Rule 5-eligible this off-season — might have already been up with the Blue Jays this season. But instead, that right-handed-hitting versatility spot went to Charles McAdoo.

Production-wise, though, it’s been more of the same since Harry returned to Buffalo’s lineup. In four games since being activated, he’s 8-for-19 (.421) with a double, two runs driven in and zero strikeouts. Before he landed on the shelf, it had started to feel like a matter of when, not if, he’d be headed to the majors. All he needs now is an open roster spot.

Josh Kasevich

After being plagued by multiple injuries in 2025, Kasevich has gotten back on track this season, spending the entire campaign at Triple-A, posting a .291 AVG and .369 OBP in 114 games, while also registering nearly as many walks (48) as strikeouts (55). He’s a contact-over-power hitter, gifted with dependable, MLB-ready defence up the middle of the diamond.

Think of Kasevich — who, like Harry, will also be eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 draft — as middle-infield insurance if Ernie Clement or Andrés Giménez requires an IL stint down the stretch. The 25-year-old would be able to step in immediately and serve as a plus defender without losing much, if any, from either Clement or Giménez.

Pitchers

Ricky Tiedemann

It won’t be surprising if Tiedemann becomes the Blue Jays’ 14th pitcher when rosters expand next month.

When the club optioned him back to Triple-A following his long-awaited MLB debut, it was in service of a fresh arm, as the 24-year-old southpaw has been pitching on multiple days of rest between relief appearances in his first post-Tommy John surgery season. So, he wouldn’t have been available for the rest of that Yankees series anyway.

On the other side of that coin, it means he’ll have spent a minimum of 15 days in the minors when Sep. 1 rolls around, permitting his return for the start of next week’s crucial three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians — whose lineup features a pair of talented left-handed bats at the top, Steven Kwan and rookie Chase DeLauter.

Something to keep in mind here is that Toronto will also need to make room for Joe Mantiply soon, as the rehabbing left-hander inches towards returning from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He’s currently on a rehab assignment, having already made a pair of Single-A appearances and will likely head to Triple-A later this week before rejoining the big-league squad.

So, come Sep. 1, the Blue Jays may be looking to add a pair of lefty relievers to their bullpen. Considering Brendon Little has an option remaining, he could be sent back to Buffalo as the corresponding move.

Daniel Guerra

In terms of development success stories, Guerra’s has relatively snuck under the radar this season in his inaugural campaign as a full-time starter. But now that he’s off to Triple-A, the 22-year-old righty is worth keeping an eye on with the Bisons.

Guerra spent most of the year at High-A, impressing via his 3.20 ERA, 3.50 FIP and 19.7 per cent strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) over 14 starts (59 innings). In a perfect world, he likely would’ve remained a starter upon advancing to Double-A earlier this month. Instead, with his looming fate ahead of this winter’s Rule 5 draft, the organization moved him to the bullpen in hopes of advancing his major-league timeline — and after only three appearances with New Hampshire, striking out nine of the 16 batters he faced and issuing just one walk, his stuff will now be tested against Triple-A hitters.

Standing 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Guerra — featuring a mid-90s four-seamer, low-80s slider and mid-80s cutter as the main components of his six-pitch arsenal — possesses plenty of intriguing swing-and-miss potential in the bullpen. If he can throw enough strikes with Buffalo, a late-season showcase in Toronto likely isn’t out of the question.

Josh Stephan 

Through three post-trade starts, Stephan — sent to the Blue Jays along with Smith from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Adam Macko — has enjoyed two intriguing, upside-potential performances and one rough outing since joining Buffalo’s rotation.

In his first and third starts as a Bison, the 24-year-old righty — another Rule 5-eligible candidate — allowed two earned runs each with 12 strikeouts and one walk (plus a hit-by-pitch) across 13 combined innings. His second, however, is where things went off the rails, surrendering eight runs (all earned) on eight hits, four walks and only three punchouts.

Keeping balls in the yard is critical for Stephan’s success, especially considering he pitched to a 1.78 HR/9 and an 18.9 per cent home run to fly ball ratio in 21 games with Texas’ Triple-A affiliate prior to the trade deadline. Still, based on the length he’s provided thus far, logging five innings or more in all three post-trade starts, he could present more of a traditional starting option if Toronto’s rotation drops down to four healthy starters again.