The Blue Jays have announced that they have designated the lefty’s contract Josh Fleming. The right hand Austin Voth selected for assignment as a move that fits both the 40-man and active rosters.
The Jays have been cycling with their arms around the back of their lineup as a response to the program Cody Ponce injury and Eric Lauer with a fever. Lazaro Estrada he was first called Ponce. Lauer was supposed to take the ball on Saturday but was pushed back to Sunday due to his illness. The Jays did a bullpen game on Saturday, with Estrada pitching four innings. Before yesterday’s contest, the Jays selected Estrada again Brendon Littlecalling Voth and Mantiply to get new arms. Lauer did his best to work through his illness but only went two innings, with Voth pitching 2 2/3 innings in relief.
Today, the Jays begin a tough series against the Dodgers. They have it Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman again Dylan Cease it is expected to start but it is a difficult process and the workers have been taxed in recent days. Fleming was added to cover some height, if needed. He signed a minor league deal in the offseason, playing for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. He went 3 2/3 innings, threw 57 pitches, so he’s stretched a lot.
He is returning to the majors for the first time in several years. From 2020 to 2024, mostly with the Rays but also with the Pirates, he worked 254 2/3 innings in 25 innings and 55 relief appearances. He allowed 4.77 runs per nine innings. His 14.6% strikeout rate was below average and he only averaged about 91 miles per hour on his fastball but he had good control over the five pitch mix. He only walked 7.5% of the batters he faced and grounded out to 58.4% of balls in play. He spent 2025 in the minors with the Mariners.
Fleming is out of options, so it may be his short stay on the roster. If he is used against the Dodgers, the Jays may want to replace him with a new arm. After this series, they have days off on April 9 and 13, which gives the workers a chance to breathe. They have it Patrick Corbin again Trey Yesavage who may join the club soon. Corbin recently signed a major league contract and was optioned, throwing five innings in his first minor league outing on Saturday. Yesavage is on the injured list and threw 2 2/3 innings in a rehab outing on Friday.
A quick change of plans was how things turned out for Voth. He moved up to the big leagues for the first time since 2024, having spent last year in Japan. As mentioned, he helped the Jays out by pitching 2 2/3 innings yesterday, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while recording one strikeout.
Unfortunately, the club has to part with him soon. He has at least five years of service, which means he can’t be selected for minors without his consent, so now he’s headed for DFA limbo. The Jays will either trade him or place him on waivers at some point in the next five days. If he clears waivers, he has enough service time to opt for free agency. He has a 4.69 ERA in 363 big league innings and posted a 3.96 ERA in Japan last year.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
