TORONTO — By the time the Toronto Blue Jays return to action, active rosters will have expanded from 26 to 28, giving managers a little more flexibility to make moves late in games.
At least one of the newcomers will have to be a position player, with the other spot likely going to a pitcher. Adding to the intrigue, the Blue Jays are about to play the Cleveland Guardians, who are now just 1.5 games ahead of them for the third and final American League wild-card berth.
While the details haven’t been finalized, the Blue Jays spent time this weekend working through some September call-up scenarios.
“I wish I could give you a clear-cut answer, but there are a lot of moving pieces,” manager John Schneider said. “There are guys that we've seen before, guys that we like, and there's just a lot of moving pieces, so we’ve got to figure out how it all works. But it's nice to have a handful of options.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s matchup between Spencer Arrighetti and Gavin Williams, here’s a closer look at some candidates to fill those two new roster spots for the Blue Jays:
Position players
Rehabbing injured players: Josh Smith
Available on the 40-man roster but not yet eligible to be recalled barring injury: Davis Schneider
Available on the 40-man roster and eligible to be recalled any time: Sean Keys, Yohendrick Piñango
The most likely move here may simply be activating Smith, who spent the weekend rehabbing at triple-A.
But considering the need for power on this Blue Jays roster, team decision-makers might also be tempted by Keys, who hit seven home runs with an OPS of 1.154 at triple-A in August.
There’s also the possibility of looking to the waiver wire for help, and one player who’s reportedly available is Luis Robert Jr. of the Mets. A right-handed hitter, the 27-year-old Robert hit six home runs with an .841 OPS in August, making him an intriguing option who would cost money (approximately $3 million in 2026 salary plus a $2 million buyout on a 2027 option) but not prospects. That’s more production than the Blue Jays have gotten from righty bats like Daz Cameron or Davis Schneider, so Robert merits a closer look.
Either way, the Blue Jays are likely to devote just one of the two openings to a position player. And barring a surprise claim, Smith is best-positioned to join the big-league team.
Pitchers
Rehabbing injured players: Jameson Taillon, Joe Mantiply
Available on the 40-man roster but not yet eligible to be recalled barring injury: Brendan Cellucci, Chad Dallas
Available on the 40-man roster and eligible to be recalled any time: Chase Lee, Ricky Tiedemann, John Klein
The initial plan was for Taillon to rejoin the Blue Jays’ rotation in Cleveland, but they’ll instead roll out Arrighetti, Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano, which means Taillon won’t have to be activated until the weekend in Kansas City.
Mantiply pitched in two triple-A rehab games last week, an indication he's getting close to MLB-ready. If Mantiply needs more time, the Blue Jays could recall someone like Tiedemann for a few games.
Of note: both Mantiply and Tiedemann are left-handed, which could help neutralize a Guardians lineup that includes plenty of left-handed hitters and switch-hitters for a series with massive playoff implications.
Teams are strictly prohibited from sharing waiver information, so very little leaks publicly, but John Schreiber of the Kansas City Royals is reportedly one name out available and are there are surely others, too. Anyone claimed before Sept. 1 is eligible for the post-season, so now’s the time to consider those moves.
Since Taillon doesn’t have to be activated right away, the Blue Jays appear likely go with someone like Mantiply to put themselves in a strong position in Cleveland.
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