Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Mason Fluharty. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Mason Fluharty to make start for Blue Jays on Saturday

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Apr 3, 2026 10:21 PM ET

Toronto Blue Jays left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty will start Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox. It will be a bullpen game following Eric Lauer's start being pushed back to Sunday following an illness.

The Blue Jays have had to shake up their starting rotation following injuries early this season. Due to the injury bug, they also picked up left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Mason Fluharty's 2025 season

Fluharty is coming off a successful rookie season, sporting a 5-2 record with a 4.44 ERA, 1.139 WHIP and 56 punchouts across 52.2 innings. He also held batters to an 86.6 mph average exit velocity.

Mason Fluharty will start for the #BlueJays tomorrow.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 3, 2026

The 24-year-old performed well in a high-leverage bullpen role, and the highlight of his rookie season was during the Blue Jays' postseason run.

He also pitched a gem on Aug. 10, 2025. The left-handed specialist fought in a nine-pitch battle with Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani and succeeded in taking him down. He then followed that up by grounding out Mookie Betts to secure his first career save.

Compelling option

Choosing Fluharty to start shows manager John Schneider's trust in the youngster. This is nothing new for the team that used several pitchers in long-relief bullpen games last season. This included Lauer, Yariel Rodriguez, Ryan Yarborough, Louis Varland and Paxton Shultz.

The Blue Jays' bats will need to wake up following an offense that has been cold as of late. The electric walk-off win by the White Sox was a tough pill to swallow for Blue Jays fans. This means run support will be needed for the youngster, who will be making his first MLB start in his career.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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