The Chicago Cubs designated left-hander Anthony Kay for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for the recently signed Trey Mancini. The Cubs claimed Kay off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays in December, but he could be moving to another organization shortly. The 27-year-old southpaw tossed only two relief innings for the Blue Jays in 2022 due to injuries and allowed one earned run while striking out three. In his four seasons in the big leagues with Toronto, he's posted a 5.48 ERA (4.67 FIP), 1.63 WHIP, 38 walks and 77 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings pitched over 28 outings (seven starts). If he clears waivers this time around, Kay could remain in Chicago's organization.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Anthony Kay recorded his first win of the season on Thursday, tossing five shutout innings in the club's 9-0 win over the Orioles. The pressure was taken off the left-hander early since the offense put up six runs in the bottom of the first, but he still shined by finishing the night giving up just five hits and two walks. He also tied his career high by striking out eight batters in what was a spot start since Steven Matz was placed on the COVID IL last week. Matz should rejoin the rotation for his regular turn next week versus the Mariners, meaning Kay will either stick around as a long reliever in the bullpen, or get sent back down to Triple-A.
Toronto Blue Jays starter Anthony Kay pitched excellent in Saturday's start versus the Phillies, allowing no runs over four frames of work. He surrendered just one hit and two walks while striking out six in the 79-pitch outing, although he didn't pitch deep enough to earn the win. He did, however, give the coaching staff plenty of reason for him to make another start next time through the rotation since there's a vacant spot with Nate Pearson dealing with an injury. Kay's start was nice tonight, but it's difficult to trust him in any format until he strings together some consistent outings. If he sticks in the rotation, he'll face the Rays next week in Dunedin.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Kay will start Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. The sophomore lefty was recalled from the alternate training site to fill in for injured starter Ross Stripling (forearm). Kay had a decent spring but was caught in a numbers crunch. He posted a 4.61 ERA with a K:BB of 12:7 in 13 2/3 innings. The southpaw pitched in 13 games at the MLB level in 2020 and threw more effectively than his 5.14 ERA would suggest. He allowed seven earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in his final two appearances in 2020 before being demoted. Overall, he struck out 22 batters in 21 innings but struggled with his control while working as a reliever.
The Toronto Blue Jays' Anthony Kay blanked the New York Yankees for two innings during the first spring training game of the year for the two clubs. He touched 97 mph in the first inning of the 6-4 win after averaging 93.7 mph with the heater last season. Traditionally a starter in the minors, the lefty spent 2020 pitching out of the bullpen at the MLB level. If Kay can see a sustained mile or two improvement on his fastball in 2021, along with his curveball and changeup, he could add depth to a starting rotation that has a lot of question marks after ace Hyun-Jin Ryu. If Kay fails to break camp as a starter, the early expectation is that he'll head to triple-A to remain stretched out in the event of an injury.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Anthony Kay (back) has been scratched from his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Kay threw on Tuesday and didn't feel good afterwards, so he'll miss this start due to back discomfort. He'll likely be done for the season with a week left. Thomas Pannone will draw the start on Tuesday, but he's not worth looking at as a streaming option.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Anthony Kay will make his major league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The former first round pick was traded to the Blue Jays in the deal that sent Marcus Stroman to the Mets. He's been pitching well during his brief time in the minors with the Jays. The Rays aren't known for having a strong offense, so Kay could be a cheap streaming option for Saturday.
New York Mets starting pitcher Anthony Kay was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. The No. 7 prospect in the system, per MLB Pipeline, Kay had an impressive 1.49 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in his 12 starts for Double-A Binghamton to earn the promotion. It's just the left-hander's second full professional season, and he features an advanced three-pitch mix (fastball, curveball and changeup) that he can command for strikes to get hitters out. He's unlikely to be an option for New York's rotation full time until next year, but Kay profiles as a mid-rotation starter in the long term and will be attractive to fantasy owners when he makes the next leap.
