Kirby Yates has made a name for himself as a great closer in the MLB. However, he will not be able to ply his services for several weeks owing to an injury. The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that Yates will not be a part of the opening-day proceedings.
The 33-year-old signed for the Toronto Blue Jays for a year this offseason. This deal would see him earning $5.5m over this season. According to the current manager Charlie Montoyo, the signing of Yates will bring much-needed experience to the Jays’ bullpen.
Reports suggest Yates has suffered a flexor-pronator strain in his throwing arm. This will render him unavailable for at least a month. He had a similar problem earlier when he had to undergo a Tommy John surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays on the lookout for other closers now
With Yates sidelined for a while, the Blue Jays are looking to sign other closers for this offseason. When asked about this predicament, Charlie Montoyo said, “I don’t see the need to have just one closer,”
Until another closer is signed, right-handers Jordan Romano and Rafael Dolis will fill in for his role. In fact, they both managed to dig them out in my games last season in the absence of Ken Giles.
Kirby Yates #39 of the San Diego Padres delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Yates injured himself in the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The game was a part of their spring training program. After coming back from the injury, he will try and tap the rich vein of form which saw him become an all-star with the San Diego Padres in 2019.
The Toronto Blue Jays will open their regular season against the New York Yankees on 1st April. The game will be staged at the Yankee Stadium. However, their home opener shall be on April 8th against the LA Angels.
