Toronto Blue Jays DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah (shoulder) experienced some right-shoulder soreness during his last bullpen session in camp and will not make his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Sunday as a result. Manoah had an MRI exam on Friday that didn't show any structural damage, though, and the team is considering him day-to-day. It doesn't sound too serious, but this should raise more eyebrows than normal after Manoah's disastrous 2023 campaign when he also dealt with arm issues and was demoted to the minors twice. The 26-year-old wasn't sharp in his spring opener on Tuesday, either, hitting three batters in 1 2/3 innings. A bounce-back could be coming if Manoah is healthy and mentally right, but he's currently outside of RotoBaller's top-100 rankings for starting pitchers.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said on Monday that starting pitcher Kevin Gausman would make his Grapefruit League debut next week. The veteran starter would like to throw a few more live batting practice sessions before officially taking the mound. The Jays' ace is coming off a season in which he finished third in AL Cy Young voting after going 12-9 with a 3.16 ERA (3.34 SIERA), 1.18 WHIP, and 23.9% K-BB%. Going as the fifth pitcher off the board in drafts, he's been a steady source of wins and strikeouts combined with a low ERA and WHIP the last few seasons, so he'll be a strong anchor for fantasy pitching staffs. The 2x All-Star's K% was 93rd percentile last season, plus he had an 87th percentile Chase%. For potential suitors looking for a reason to pass on the vet, the only cause for concern was that his numbers faded a bit in the second half of last season. His K-BB% went from 26.4% to 19.8%, HR/FB% went from 8.5% to 14.1%, and WOBA from .281 to .310.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will remain locked in as the team's leadoff hitter for the 2024 season, manager John Schneider told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "For Georgie, it's about getting back to what he's great at," Schneider said. "Pulling the ball more is something he's talking about." These are positive comments and promising updates from the skipper after Springer posted a modest .258/.327/.405 slash line with a career-low 8.8 BB% and 104 wRC+ in 2023. On a positive note, he went yard 21 times, eclipsing the 20-home run mark for the seventh time in the last eight years (with the only exception being the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign in which he launched 14).

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette took a longer break than normal from baseball activities to reset after the 2023 season. He also trained in other ways, taking up swimming, pilates and Muay Thai. Bichette is happy with the shape he's in at camp as a result and said he's "in a good place to play every day." The 25-year-old missed 25 games with right patellar tendinitis and a right quadriceps strain late last year, so he focused specifically on his right leg and took a holistic approach to his offseason training. Bichette made his second All-Star team in 2023, and despite stealing only five bases, he was one of the better hitters in the game with a .306/.339/.475 slash line with an .814 OPS, 20 homers and 73 RBI in 135 games. In a strong Toronto lineup, he's one of the top fantasy shortstops and is ranked No. 6 at the position by RotoBaller.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah is testing out a new cutter this spring as he looks to bounce back from an extremely difficult 2023 season. The 26-year-old worked to a 5.87 ERA and a bloated 14.2% BB% across 19 starts in the big leagues last season after finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in the 2022 season thanks to a 2.24 ERA across 31 starts. Manoah spent time at the team's spring training facility a season ago to get back on track but also refused to report to Triple-A Buffalo after an unsuccessful return to the big leagues. Manoah has previously featured a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a changeup, and a slider to this point as his cutter could be another avenue for him to get back on track in 2024. His fantasy value has obviously taken a major hit after the 2023 campaign.