The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a three-out-of-four series victory over the Boston Red Sox, but now face a quick turnaround against another division rival.
Toronto will take on the New York Yankees beginning Friday night at home, with Shane Bieber taking the mound against Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole.
Ahead of the matchup, Toronto made a string of roster moves, officially activating recently acquired veteran pitcher Paul Sewald after claiming him off waivers.
Blue Jays Demote 27-Year-Old Reliever
Sewald’s addition required a corresponding move, and Toronto sent right-handed reliever Lazaro Estrada to Triple-A Buffalo.
Estrada has found himself in a constant cycle between the majors and minors lately. The Blue Jays called him up just one day earlier on Aug. 13, and he pitched one inning, allowing one hit and two earned runs while walking two batters.
ROSTER MOVES:
ð¹ RHP Paul Sewald has reported to the team and will be active tonight
ð¹ RHP Lazaro Estrada optioned to Triple-A pic.twitter.com/EvgdblKwR8
â Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 14, 2026
Estrada’s MLB Career
Estrada made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in July 2025, appearing in two games and posting an 8.59 ERA across 7.1 innings.
This season, Estrada has made eight appearances and thrown 13.0 innings. He has posted a 5.54 ERA, struck out nine batters and given up eight hits and eight earned runs.
Estrada has been much more effective in the minors, going 3-0 with a 3.33 ERA and 27 strikeouts across 27.0 innings in 11 appearances this season. He owns a 3.81 career ERA across 456 minor league innings and 128 games.
Looking at the Blue Jays
Toronto is currently 59-64 and is attempting to string together a late-season surge as it sits just 2.0 games out of a Wild Card spot.
The Blue Jays’ next three series will all come against AL East opponents. They’ll play three games against the Yankees before traveling to Tampa Bay for a series against the Rays. Toronto will then return to the Bronx for a four-game series against New York.
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