Angels vs Blue Jays

Manoah's right middle fingernail fell off after a spring start in mid-March, and he began throwing bullpens in early April. He's since progressed to facing hitters and could kick off a rehab stint within the next week. Manoah struggled mightily during the Cactus League slate, so he may need to pitch well during his rehab assignment to get a chance to start with the big-league club in the near future.

Rodriguez reportedly threw the equivalent of three innings in the live session Friday. The right-handed hurler felt "good" while throwing, according to manager Kurt Suzuki, but the team still wants to see how he recovers before determining his next step. Rodriguez could be headed for a minor-league rehab stint soon, and there's a chance he'll be able to join the Angels sometime in May.

Yates' rehab appearances have been spread out, as he's had at least two days off between each outing. The veteran reliever has given up at least one run in each of his one-inning appearances and has served up two homers across his three frames. It's not clear how long the Angels plan to keep Yates on his rehab assignment, and his struggles may not be helping his cause for rejoining the big-league roster in short order. After Jordan Romano was designated for assignment Sunday, the Angels' closer situation is extremely murky, and Yates is a clear candidate to take on the role given his 98 career regular-season saves. However, the club may want to see Yates put together some better outings before feeling comfortable handing him the ball in the ninth inning of close contests.

The 26-year-old departed Saturday's game against the Royals with wrist irritation after being struck by a foul tip behind the plate, and he'll miss some time after being diagnosed with a fracture. Travis d'Arnaud should step in as the Halos' primary catcher while O'Hoppe is on the shelf. Sebastian Rivero was called up Sunday to take over the backup job.

Johnson landed on the 15-day injured list April 6 due to a viral infection. He then made a start in extended spring training April 13 but was removed due to a hamstring injury after throwing just two pitches. Johnson seems to be doing better, and resuming throwing bullpens will be a significant step toward a return to game action. He could be ready to be activated off the IL in late April or early May.

The appearance was Crouse's first of spring training and signals that he's back to full health after he hadn't pitched in a game since April 3, 2025 while he recovered from a right lat strain. After being cut loose by the Angels last April shortly upon suffering the injury, Crouse had remained a free agent until he signed a minor-league deal with the Orioles in January. He's likely to open the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

D'Arnaud was struck in his left foot by a 94.6 mph sinker from relief pitcher Kyle Hart in the bottom of the seventh frame, and he was unable to continue to play as a result. The catcher was replaced at first base by outfielder Bryce Teodosio, and more information on his status will likely come in the near future.

The 26-year-old continues to work his way back from the sprains in both ankles he sustained in early April, and he appears to be getting close to being cleared for game action. Barger will need a multi-game rehab assignment in the minors before coming off the injured list, so he's likely still at least a week or two away from potentially rejoining the Blue Jays.

Kirk sustained the injury Friday when he was struck in the thumb by a foul tip, and the Blue Jays didn't waste any time placing him on the injured list. The 27-year-old should be able to rejoin the active roster in mid-May, assuming his recovery progresses as expected. Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela will handle the catching duties for Toronto in the meantime.

Francis dealt with a right shoulder impingement during the 2025 season that landed him in the injured list in June. He was able to commence a throwing program in August after some prior setbacks and had managed to face hitters during live batting practice. However, with the right-hander set for Tommy John surgery, he may go a season and a half without pitching in a game.

Ponce sprained his right ACL in late March, which was a severe enough injury to require season-ending surgery, but he should be available for the start of spring training. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays in December after spending three seasons in Japan. Ponce's start against the Rockies on March 30 -- when he suffered his injury -- was his first appearance in an MLB game since 2021, when he played with the Pirates.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM earlier Friday that Springer could be reinstated from the IL "maybe just even [in] a day or two," but that never appeared to be a likely possibility. The veteran slugger is already eligible to be reinstated to the active roster, but he'll need some more time to complete his running program. It also remains to be seen if Springer will require a brief rehab assignment before being activated.

Berrios has made two rehab starts with Single-A Dunedin most recently Wednesday against Fort Myers, when he allowed three hits and struck out five batters without issuing a walk over four scoreless innings. He'll now shift his rehab assignment over to Triple-A, and he'll likely need at least two more starts without suffering a setback before being cleared to make his major-league season debut with the Blue Jays.

Estrada was excellent in a bulk-relief outing Saturday, holding the White Sox hitless over four innings while striking out three batters and walking two. However, he threw 66 pitches and would presumably be sidelined for several days as a result, so the Blue Jays opted to shuffle him down to Buffalo in order to beef up the team's bullpen depth. Given Estrada's performance Saturday, it seems very likely he'll be back with the major-league club relatively soon.

Lukes felt discomfort in his hamstring after hitting a leadoff double in the first inning of Friday's contest, causing him to come out of the game early. Manager John Schneider said after the game that Lukes compared his soreness to that of a cramp, but the Jays will still have him undergo imaging to make sure he isn't dealing with any structural damage. More will be known regarding his injury when the results come back Saturday, and Myles Straw could pick up starts in the outfield if Lukes sits out a game or two.