Blue Jays bring back righty Tate on one-year deal
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The Toronto Blue Jays have signed free agent right-handed reliever Dillon Tate to a one-year, $1.4 million contract, it was announced Wednesday.
Tate spent time briefly with the Blue Jays toward the end of last season after being claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 1. He appeared in four games for the Jays, allowing two earned runs in 3.1 innings with four strikeouts, four hits allowed and three walks. Tate pitched in 33 games with the Orioles earlier in the season, making his ERA 4.66 on the season.
The Tate signing comes one day before right-hander Erik Swanson is scheduled to meet with elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Texas. The Jays also announced Wednesday that right-hander Angel Bastardo has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The 30-year-old Tate made his big league debut for the Orioles in July of 2019 and pitched parts of five seasons with Baltimore before joining the Jays. His best season came in 2022 when he recorded a 3.05 ERA in 67 appearances out of the bullpen. He owns a 4.09 career ERA in 190 appearances during the regular season.
Scherzer's start pushed back
The Blue Jays are pushing back Max Scherzer's next scheduled spring start due to right thumb soreness.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that the team is being cautious with the 40-year-old right-hander and should know more on Wednesday's day off. Scherzer was slated to pitch against Baltimore Thursday afternoon.
Scherzer has been impressive so far this spring, allowing just two runs in nine innings spread out over three outings while reaching the mid-90s with his fastball. He was limited to just nine starts last season with the Texas Rangers.