Yesavage is scheduled for a two-inning simulated game against minor leaguers Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Blue Jays are slow-playing Yesavage this spring after he had a significant workload jump in 2025. While the young right-hander is still expected to break camp as a member of Toronto's rotation, his workload limitations will carry over into the beginning of the regular season.

Yesavage could face an abbreviated workload to begin the season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Blue Jays have been pitching Yesavage in live batting practice sessions rather than games, and there's no timeline for when he will appear in a Grapefruit League contest. Manager John Schneider noted Friday of Yesavage that "we still view him as a starter," but the righty could be limited to 3-4 innings per start early on in the season. Toronto is being careful with Yesavage's workload after he threw 139.2 innings in 2025, including the postseason, which was a 46.1-inning jump from 2024 at East Carolina.

Yesavage threw a side session Tuesday and is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut sometime next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Blue Jays are building up Yesavage deliberately following a considerable workload jump in 2025. His next mound work will be a live batting practice session, and a Grapefruit League start could follow that. The top pitching prospect threw 139.2 innings in 2025, including the postseason, after logging 93.1 innings as a junior at East Carolina in 2024. The Blue Jays plan to manage Yesavage's workload fluidly throughout the season, per Zwelling, who notes that Yesavage could have starts skipped or pushed back depending on how he's recovering between outings.

Yesavage would like to add a curveball to his pitch mix this season, Kristjan Lautens of the Toronto Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 22-year-old right-hander rocketed through the Blue Jays' system last season after being the 20th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, beginning the campaign at Single-A Dunedin and ending it by setting a World Series record for strikeouts in a game by a rookie. Yesavage leaned heavily on his fastball in the majors while mixing in a slider and splitter nearly equally, but he knows he'll need to give big-league hitters another wrinkle now that they've had a look at him. "I have a funky [over the top] arm angle, so I've just got to play around with it. I would love [a pitch] that moves glove side," he said last week. Jays GM Ross Atkins has already indicated Yesavage will begin the year in the rotation, and after he threw 139.2 innings across all levels including the postseason in 2025, he won't have a strict innings limit.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Yesavage will be in the team's rotation in 2026 and will not have a strict innings limit, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

Between the minors, regular season and postseason, Yesavage threw a total of 139.2 innings in 2025 in his first professional season. While the Blue Jays will no doubt keep an eye on the right-hander's workload, particularly early on in the season, he will not be working with a strict innings cap. Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA and 16:7 K:BB over 14 regular-season innings and a 3.58 ERA and 39:11 K:BB across 27.2 postseason frames for Toronto.

Yesavage picked up the win in Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing one earned run on three hits and zero walks while striking out 12 batters in seven innings.

EDGE Analysis

Outside of the third-inning solo homer he gave up to Enrique Hernandez, Yesavage's performance Wednesday was nothing short of brilliant versus one of baseball's most dynamic offenses. The 22-year-old righty pounded the strike zone often, throwing 71 of his 104 pitches for strikes, and by doing so, he finished the night with a dozen punchouts -- the most any rookie has had in a World Series game. Now carrying a 3.46 ERA in the postseason, Yesavage is done starting games in 2025, but he's expected to be available out of the bullpen if the series goes to Game 7.

Yesavage didn't factor into the decision in Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Friday, allowing two earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters across four innings.

EDGE Analysis

Yesavage got off to a strong start by retiring the side in order in the first -- highlighted by a strikeout of Shohei Ohtani -- but the rookie right-hander eventually fell victim to the strength of Los Angeles' offense. An Enrique Hernandez RBI single gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the second, and Will Smith plated another run with his single in the third. Yesavage's pitch count had reached 80 by the end of the fourth frame, forcing Toronto to turn to its bullpen early and preventing the 22-year-old from benefiting from the Jays' nine-run explosion in the sixth. If the Dodgers are able to win at least one of the next three contests, Yesavage would likely be the choice to take the mound in Los Angeles for Game 5.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Yesavage will start Game 1 of the World Series versus the Dodgers on Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

At 22 years and 88 days old, Yesavage will be the second-youngest World Series Game 1 starter in history, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. He will be opposed by Blake Snell. Yesavage has made three starts this postseason, collecting a 4.20 ERA and 22:7 K:BB over 15 innings. The Blue Jays have not yet named their Game 2 starter, but it will likely be Kevin Gausman.

Yesavage earned the win after he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out seven in Sunday's 6-2 victory over Seattle in Game 6 of the ALCS.

EDGE Analysis

Yesavage toed the rubber for the second time in the series, bouncing back well after surrendering five runs over four innings in Game 2. The right-hander was able to blank the Mariners through five innings before he gave up a two-out solo home run to Josh Naylor in the top of the sixth. Yesavage then surrendered a two-out single to Randy Arozarena, and he was subsequently removed from the game. Arozarena later came around to score on a single by Eugenio Suarez. Yesavage has now posted a 4.20 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 15 innings in three starts during the postseason.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Yesavage will start Game 6 of the ALCS versus the Mariners on Sunday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Yesavage struggled in Game 2, alowing five runs on four hits and three walks over four innings. He had a dominant start against the Yankees in the ALDS, however, and will get an opportunity to bounce back Sunday. Depending on what happens in Game 5 on Friday, Yesavage's start Sunday will either be to help send the Blue Jays to the World Series or allow them to stave off elimination.