The Blue Jays called up Cuban RHP Yariel Rodriguez for a crucial divisional series against the Red Sox, Francys Romero reported.
The 27-year-old Cuban pitcher had a 1.93 ERA in 6 rehab games in Triple-A. Rodriguez has shown he is again ready for the biggest stage in his last rehab start where he gave up two runs on three hits in three innings and added seven strikeouts.
His first taste with the Major Leagues did not go as well as he had hoped, going 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA in 15 innings but had 16 strikeouts before going on the injured list with Thoracic spine inflammation. This injury kept him out of action since the end of April.
Rodriguez started his career with the Ganaderos de Camaguey in Cuba, where he pitched from 2015-18. His best season was his first, with a 2.35 ERA and 13 strikeouts. He continued to pitch for various other teams, including the Cuban National Team, until he joined the Chunichi Dragons, a part of Nippon Professional Baseball. Rodriguez pitched from 2020-22, with his best season being in 2022, with a 1.15 ERA and 60 strikeouts.
His versatility and adaptation in terms of either being a back-end starter or a reliever made him one of the best free agents on the market this past off-season. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays organization this offseason to a five-year, $32 million contract.
Photo Credit: Yariel Rodriguez #29 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning of his MLB debut. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
