Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Rehab assignment pending
Rotowire
Varsho (hamstring) is expected to begin playing in minor-league games sometime next week, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reported Friday.
Varsho resumed baseball activities June 6 but hadn't been cleared to run. He's now approaching clearance to play in games and should kick off a rehab assignment next week. Varsho is recovering from a Grade 1 hamstring strain he sustained on the final day of May.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Resumes baseball activities
Rotowire
Varsho (hamstring) is hitting in the batting cages and playing catch, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reported Friday.
Varsho suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain Saturday and was given a week-to-week recovery timeline. While it's encouraging to see he's begun baseball activities, Varsho hasn't been cleared to run quite yet.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Recovering from Grade 1 strain
Rotowire
Manager John Schneider said prior to Sunday's 8-4 win over the Athletics that Varsho's left hamstring injury is a Grade 1 strain, and the Blue Jays are viewing the outfielder as week-to-week, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Though Varsho's hamstring strain is of the mild variety, the week-to-week label means that he's not a lock to return from the 10-day injured list when first eligible June 11. Schneider mentioned Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw as the primary candidates to see reps in center field while Varsho is on the shelf, and Jonatan Clase, Alan Roden and Davis Schneider may also get more opportunities to make starts at either of the corner-outfield spots while Anthony Santander (shoulder) is on the IL.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Heads to IL with hamstring strain
Rotowire
The Blue Jays placed Varsho on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to a left hamstring strain.
Toronto initially attributed Varsho's early departure from Saturday's 8-7 win over the Athletics to hamstring discomfort, but follow-up testing confirmed that the outfielder had suffered a strain. The severity of the strain isn't known, but even if it's of the mild variety, Varsho may not be ready to immediately return from the IL when first eligible June 11. Myles Straw will get the starting nod in center field in Sunday's series finale, but Nathan Lukes, Alan Roden and George Springer could also get reps at the position while Varsho is on the shelf.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Diagnosed with hamstring injury
Rotowire
Varsho was removed from Saturday's game against the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort.
Varsho injured his left hamstring while attempting to stretch a double into a triple in the third inning. The 28-year-old outfielder will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury. Myles Straw entered the game at the top of the fourth, and he would be in line for more starts in the outfield if Varsho were to be sidelined for an extended period of time.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Exits game due to leg injury
Rotowire
Varsho was removed in the third inning of Saturday's game against the Athletics due to a left leg injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Varsho pulled up grabbing his left leg while attempting to stretch a double into a triple in the third inning. He was helped off the field to the clubhouse, and an update on the severity of Varsho's injury should be provided during or shortly after Saturday's contest once he undergoes further testing. Myles Straw has taken over in center field for the Blue Jays following Varsho's departure.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Launches eighth homer
Rotowire
Varsho went 3-for-5 with a double and a solo home run in Monday's win over the Rangers.
The center fielder took Jacob deGrom deep in the first inning, hooking a slider down the right-field line for his eighth homer in just 20 games. Varsho's power display since recovering from shoulder surgery and making a belated season debut in late April has been impressive, but it comes with a .218 batting average, .238 OBP and what would be a career-worst 31.0 percent strikeout rate.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Day off Sunday
Rotowire
Varsho is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.
Varsho looks to be getting a routine breather Sunday after starting each of Toronto's last eight games. Myles Straw will replace Varsho in center field and bat ninth.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Belts grand slam in easy win
Rotowire
Varsho went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 14-0 win over the Padres.
It was the seventh long ball already this year by Varsho, who has played just 16 games after missing the start of the season due to a shoulder injury. While the outfielder is batting only .217, he has three doubles, 17 RBI, one stolen base and 11 runs scored over 60 at-bats in addition to the homers. The lefty-hitting Varsho is hitless in nine at-bats against southpaws, but he boasts a 1.003 OPS across 51 at-bats versus right-handers.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Big jump in exit velocity
Rotowire
Varsho's average exit velocity has increased from 86.1 mph in 2024 to 94.1 mph this season heading into Sunday's game thanks to tweaks he made to his swing mechanics this offseason, Mitch Bannon of the Athletic reports.
That's an absolutely stunning increase in how hard Varsho is hitting the ball. The center fielder was in the seventh percentile in AEV last year; this year he'd be in 95th percentile if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the Statcast leaderboard. The added force has led to six homers and a .404 ISO through his first 14 games, and while that pace is unsustainable, Varsho seems poised to take a run at the career-high 27 home runs he slugged in 2022 despite the fact that he missed the first month of the current season while recovering from shoulder surgery.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Slugs sixth homer
Rotowire
Varsho went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's loss to the Tigers.
The center fielder got the Blue Jays on the board in the sixth inning by swatting a Jack Flaherty fastball over the fence in left-center field, but the home team was already in a 4-0 hole at that point. Varsho has been supplying big-time power since making his belated season debut in late April, slashing .227/.265/.659 with six homers and 13 RBI in only 12 games.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Getting breather Thursday
Rotowire
Varsho is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.
The Blue Jays have been careful not to overload Varsho since he returned from the injured list April 29, as this is his fourth day off since that date and he also missed an additional game with lower-back tightness. He should be back in the lineup Friday versus the Tigers. Myles Straw is in center field and batting eighth Thursday.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Posts two-homer day in loss
Rotowire
Varsho went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Rays.
Varsho had a solo home run in the fourth and then a three-run blast in the eighth to put the Blue Jays ahead 7-6. Both long balls had an exit velocity over 113 mph, which were the hardest-hit balls in Varsho's career. He now has five home runs and 11 RBI in 10 games since his season debut April 29, and six of his eight hits on the season so far have gone for extra bases.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Checking out of lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Varsho is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.
Since being activated from the 10-day injured list April 29 after completing his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, Varsho has yet to start in more than three consecutive games. That trend will continue Sunday, as Myles Straw gets the nod in center while Varsho rests after starting Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Over his first nine games of the season with Toronto, Varsho is slashing .194/.250/.516 with three home runs, one stolen base, seven RBI and four runs.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Launches third homer
Rotowire
Varsho went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Thursday's win over the Angels.
The center fielder crushed a Connor Brogdon changeup down the right-field line for a solo shot in the eighth inning, giving Varsho his third homer in seven games since making a delayed season debut after completing his recovery from shoulder surgery. He's batting .273 (6-for-22) with one steal, four runs and six RBI. And while Jays manager John Schneider has eased him back into the lineup -- Varsho has yet to start back-to-back games in May -- the Gold Glover appears ready to handle a full workload.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Expected to play Tuesday
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Guardians that he's hopeful Varsho (back) will be ready to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Angels, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Varsho wasn't activated from the 10-day injured list until this past Tuesday while he needed some extra time to begin the season to complete his recovery from the right shoulder surgery he underwent last September, but it was a bout with lower-back tightness that resulted in the outfielder being scratched from the lineup Sunday. Schneider downplayed the injury after the game, noting that Varsho likely could have pushed through the back issue if needed, but the Blue Jays didn't want to take any chances with him so soon after the IL stint. An off day Monday will afford Varsho added time to heal up before the Blue Jays travel to Anaheim for a three-game set.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Sitting versus lefty
Rotowire
Varsho is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Guardians.
With left-hander Logan Allen on the mound for Cleveland, the lefty-swinging Varsho will take a seat as Myles Straw gets the start in center field, batting eighth. In three games since returning from the IL to make his season debut, Varsho is slashing .300/.462/.900 with two home runs, three RBI, two runs scored and three walks across 13 plate appearances.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Pokes second homer
Rotowire
Varsho went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.
The center fielder slapped a Tanner Houck sinker up in the zone over the fence in the left-field corner to get the Blue Jays on the board in the seventh inning. Varsho has already gone yard twice in three games since coming off the IL, while collecting three total hits and three walks.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: On cusp of activation
Rotowire
Manager John Schneider said Varsho (shoulder) will play in center field Sunday with Triple-A Buffalo before being activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Varsho hasn't gotten on track offensively through six games of the rehab assignment with just two hits in 21 at-bats, but the Blue Jays are apparently ready to bring him off the injured list. The 28-year-old had a .214/.293/.407 slash line in 136 games last season and should take over as Toronto's primary center fielder.
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Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Activation decision looming
Rotowire
The Blue Jays will decide Thursday whether Varsho (shoulder) will be activated from the 10-day injured list this weekend against the Yankees or if he'll continue his rehab assignment, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The 28-year-old has gone 0-for-10 with four strikeouts across his three rehab games thus far, but the Blue Jays are more concerned with how his arm is recovering game to game as he makes his return from shoulder surgery. Even if it's decided that Varsho needs a few more games in the minors, he should still be able to join the Blue Jays next week.
