Due to their recent deluge of pitching injuries, the Toronto Blue Jays have added an innings-eater.
Last season, Corbin pitched 155 1/3 innings for the Texas Rangers, posting a 4.40 ERA, 131 strikeouts and 51 walks. Corbin will fit right in with the Blue Jays staff, as he is one of only four pitchers to make over 30 starts in each of the last five seasons (Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease and Jose Berrios). The six-foot-four southpaw leads all MLB pitchers in starts (265) and is second in innings pitched (1491.2) since 2017. He is a free agent for the first time since late 2018, when he signed a six-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
The #BlueJays are adding some LHP depth.
They’ve agreed to a one-year deal with Patrick Corbin for $1 million
Corbin’s ability to haul innings could come in handy, considering the Blue Jays have as many starters on the injured list as they have healthy.
Berrios, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Cody Ponce are all on the IL at the moment. Ponce fell awkwardly while pursuing a ground ball in the third inning of his Blue Jays debut on Tuesday and was later diagnosed with an ACL sprain. The right-hander was dominating the Colorado Rockies before going down, inducing 15 whiffs on 29 swings. The 31-year-old is visiting Dr. Neal ElAttrache to determine if surgery is necessary, but is set to miss “significant time” regardless.
Of the Blue Jays’ injured pitchers, Yesavage was described as the closest to returning, and allowed one run, one hit and one walk while striking out three over 2 2/3 innings with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Friday.
Meanwhile, lefty Mason Fluharty will start the Blue Jays’ first bullpen game of the season against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday as the Jays are pushing back Eric Lauer to Sunday due to illness.