World Series star Trey Yesavage rejoins Blue Jays to face Red Sox

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage will try to duplicate his magic from late in 2025 when he makes his season debut Tuesday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

The Blue Jays dropped the opener of the three-game series against Boston 5-0 on Monday when they were held to two hits.

Yesavage began the season on the injured list with impingement in his right shoulder. He completed a minor league rehabilitation assignment, splitting four games (three starts) between Class-A Dunedin and Triple-A Buffalo, going 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA.

"He checked all of the boxes that we had hoped for," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "I wasn't really looking at results, more looking at his stuff and the plan we had laid out since spring training."

Yesavage went from Class-A to the majors in one swoop last season. He found himself back in the minors to start this season while working his way back to health, but this time he knew he would soon be back with Toronto.

"I think I've handled it well," Yesavage told Sportsnet. "My mindset was kind of like how I was in the minors, play so they have to bring you up here and whatnot, so just still having that competitive nature and being able to prove that I should be here. The toughest part is it's kind of slow. I wish I could have been up here sooner."

In three regular-season starts in 2025, Yesavage went 1-0 with a 3.21 and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings. In the postseason, he posted a 3-1 mark with a 3.58 ERA in six games (five starts), including a 1-0 record and a 2.08 ERA in the World Series, when he struck out 12 and walked one in 8 2/3 innings.

Yesavage has not faced the Red Sox, who will start Payton Tolle (0-0, 1.50 ERA). The left-hander allowed one run in one inning in relief in his only appearance against Toronto, last Sept. 24.

Boston has won three straight for the first time this season, the past two for interim manager Chad Tracy, who replaced the fired Alex Cora.

Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez allowed one hit and one walk with a season-best 10 strikeouts in eight shutout innings on Monday. In three career appearances (two starts) against Toronto, he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 17 1/3 innings.

"Today is who he is," said Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez, who homered in the eighth inning. "That's who has been the last five, six, seven years. We used all pitches, all locations, so that is fun."

The Red Sox continued the process of reorganizing the coaching staff after six were let go with Cora's departure.

One of the moves was shifting Jose David Flores from first base coach to bench coach, a position he held from 2022-24 at Triple-A Worcester, where Tracy was the manager.

"One of our most experienced guys left here as far as baseball knowledge," Tracy said before the game on Monday. "So having him with me, next to me, as well as (pitching coach) Andrew Bailey in there, is important. He's a great baseball man and one of my closest friends, so the combination of those two and having him by my side is huge."

Pablo Cabrera will take over as first base coach and Jack Simonetty will become an assistant hitting coach.

Toronto put starter Max Scherzer on the injured list on Monday due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.

"Doctor's order was just get rest," Scherzer said on Monday. "There's nothing structurally wrong."

Chase Lee was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, and he allowed the homer to Narvaez in a 1 1/3-inning outing during his Toronto debut.

--Field Level Media