Blue Jays’ Yesavage will need ‘at least one’ rehab game, Schneider says

Yesavage threw a bullpen session on Friday, his first time throwing off a mound since he had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee three weeks ago.

“Trey threw a 23-pitch pen today,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said on Sportsnet 590 The Fan’s Blair & Barker Friday. “He was up to 92 m.p.h. and said he felt great.”

Schneider said Yesavage will throw another bullpen on Monday, and if that goes well, he will throw two simulated innings on Thursday.

As far as what Yesavage’s rehab game schedule will look like, Schneider said the 23-year-old right-hander will need at least one game before rejoining the Blue Jays.

“I think it will probably be most beneficial to do at least one game,” Schneider said of Yesavage. “But I think if he continues to feel good, it will be like 30 pitches on Thursday to live hitters after another pen, then you can bump him up to like 45, 50 (pitches), and then kind of make a decision.”

However, Schneider did say this week that if Yesavage does return to the Blue Jays this season, it will most likely be in a bulk role instead of going back to being a traditional starter.

“That would make it interesting for a bullpen-y bulk day, with him being part of it,” Schneider said on Thursday. “That would be nice. It just depends on how much time he’s missed, how much he can build up. Is it an inning or two? Is it three or four? We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

The 23-year-old Yesavage left Toronto’s loss to the Houston Astros on Aug. 4 after throwing 16 strikes over two innings. His left knee appeared to buckle as he warmed up for the third inning, and he was checked by a trainer before exiting the game.

Yesavage (5-5) has a 3.65 earned-run average over 18 starts this season with 91 strikeouts over 93.2 innings pitched.

Despite the loss of Yesavage, the Blue Jays enter Friday’s game (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, Sportsnet and Sportsnet+) against the Kansas City Royals just 0.5 games back of the Guardians for the final wild-card spot in the American League.