With their 81-59 record, the Toronto Blue Jays are holding onto a three-game lead in the AL East. As they look to continue that success into the postseason, the Blue Jays will now have another impressive arm in their bullpen.
Toronto is calling up right-hander Braydon Fisher on Friday, via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. In turn, the Blue Jays optioned fellow righty Dillon Tate.
“Big bullpen piece back for September,” Matheson wrote.
Fisher was jettisoned to the minors to make room for Shane Bieber's arrival in Toronto. However, his work on the mound has justified a spot on the roster for the Blue Jays' postseason push. Now, Fisher will have an opportunity to prove he belongs to stay in the minor leagues.
The Blue Jays rookie is having a standout season
Fisher was originally a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. He was sent to the Blue Jays in a trade for Cavan Biggio. It didn't take long for the right-hander to make a strong first impression on Toronto, and a year later, Fisher is in the big leagues.
Over his first 41 games at the major league level, the rookie has put up a 3.03 ERA and a 50/12 K/BB ratio. Outside of one rough outing in May, Fisher hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his appearances. Eight of the last 10 times he was called out of the bullpen, Fisher put up a zero.
The Blue Jays are in desperate need of bullpen help heading into the home stretch of the regular season. Toronto ranks 18th in MLB with a 4.15 ERA. Their .232 batting average is tied for fourth-worst in the league. Simply put, Fisher's arrival gives the Blue Jays a much-needed spark.
It'll be a tight race to the finish in the AL East. But if Toronto can figure out their bullpen problems, their chances of coming out victorious only increase.
