Daulton Varsho Could Make Season Debut This Weekend
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is joining the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. The hope is that he will play five of the remaining six days this week, with a potential return to the big leagues this weekend in New York against the Yankees as a possibility. Toronto will re-evaluate the 28-year-old on Wednesday or Thursday to make a final call. Varsho is nearing his 2025 debut after having right-shoulder surgery in the offseason. In two rehab games with Single-A Dunedin, he went hitless in six at-bats with two strikeouts, and the Blue Jays want to see a little more before activating him from the injured list. Varsho will probably be eased in when he returns to the majors, but eventually he'll be the team's everyday center fielder.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) will start a formal minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Dunedin soon, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. Varsho and his wife, Brook, are expecting a child in the coming days, so he will ramp up his rehab after the baby arrives. The 28-year-old has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment after recently playing in extended spring training games on defense in the outfield. He got a late start in spring training after offseason surgery on his right shoulder, but if everything goes well on his rehab assignment, he could rejoin Toronto before the end of April. The Blue Jays will surely ease Varsho in on defense when he comes off the injured list, but when healthy, he will be a regular starter in the outfield as one of their best defenders. He was a disappointment offensively in 2024, and it remains to be seen how productive he'll be coming off shoulder surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) has been playing catch up to 165 feet but has not yet been cleared to throw in games. Varsho opened the regular season on the 15-day injured list as he is working his way back from shoulder surgery. However, Varsho was able to serve as the designated hitter during spring training. The coaching staff has noted that Varsho will only join the MLB roster when he is cleared to play defense. While he has been sidelined, prospect Alan Roden has seen playing time in the starting nine. Last season, Varsho saw most of his time in left and center field. Across 136 contests, the 28-year-old posted a .214/.293/.407 slash line with 18 long balls and 10 stolen bases. Varsho is worth monitoring as he will hold value in category formats given his ability to hit for power and steal bases.
Daulton Varsho To Begin The Season On Injured List
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, according to manager John Schneider. While it was thought this was going to be the case all along, it was confirmed by Schneider on Saturday. Varsho had been working as the team's DH this spring and was posting good results, slashing .276/.333/.793 with four home runs in 29 at-bats. While that type of pace should not be expected during the regular season, the left-handed hitter has some decent pop in his bat, slugging as many as 27 home runs in 2022 and 18 last season. The 28-year-old also has good speed, reaching double-digit steals each of the last three seasons. He won a Gold Glove in 2024 as well, so the Jays would rather him play both sides of the ball (not just DH), which is why he'll begin the season on the IL as he recovers from September rotator-cuff surgery. The IL stint is not expected to be a long one, while it leaves Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, and Alan Roden as potential short-term replacements. If needed, Varsho could be stashed in an IL spot for fantasy. Otherwise, he'd be a viable waiver-wire pickup if available when he returns.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) could begin the season on the injured list. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com noted that the outfielder is throwing at 120 feet and is viewed as "day-to-day." However, a "brief" stint on the IL is considered the "likeliest" outcome. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team will make a decision in the coming days. The 28-year-old has been deployed exclusively as a designated hitter during spring training and has yet to progress enough to take the field defensively. However, even if he did open the season on the injured list, he will likely not miss an extended period of time. Last season, Varsho appeared in 136 games for the Blue Jays and held a .214/.293/.407 line with 18 home runs and 10 stolen bases. When healthy, he should be viewed as a viable depth outfielder in category formats given his ability to hit for power and carry speed upside.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) threw out to around 105 feet in camp on Thursday. He still has two weeks until Opening Day, and although it's possible he'll need extra time to ramp up his throwing all the way, he's in a good spot given how complicated rehab from shoulder surgery can be, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. The 28-year-old continues to be up in the air for the start of the 2025 season after having surgery on his right shoulder in September of last year. He has yet to play the field yet in Grapefruit League action but has gone 5-for-16 with three home runs as the designated hitter, which is a great sign for him at the plate after having offseason surgery. Varsho's DH role could continue early into the season if he's not ready to play the outfield. He is RotoBaller's No. 90-ranked fantasy outfielder, but a bounce-back is possible if his down poor 2024 was related to his injured shoulder.
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider played catch with outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) in camp on Sunday at 90 to 100 feet and called it "probably the best he's felt." "The next step is feeling that way when he's back to 120, 150, 175. We'll see when he gets there," Schneider said. Opening Day is a possibility for Varsho, but he's day-to-day for now. The 28-year-old is working his way back from right-shoulder surgery and the Blue Jays aren't going to push him just so that he can be out there on Opening Day, so fantasy managers shouldn't be all that surprised if he opens the year on the injured list. In addition to his shoulder injury, there are other reasons to be skeptical of him in fantasy after he was a below-average hitter in 2024. His shoulder injury could have been to blame, but Varsho just didn't hit the ball hard enough or consistently enough. RotoBaller has Varsho ranked as the No. 90 fantasy outfielder.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is uncertain as to whether he'll ready in time to play on Opening Day. Blue Jays' manager John Schneider hinted earlier in camp that Varsho could spend some time on the injured list to begin the season. Varsho has started throwing up to 120 feet, but the next step is Varsho throwing over 80 mph regularly. It's possible that the Blue Jays carry Varsho on the Opening Day roster just as the designated hitter. He has looked fine as a hitter during spring training, but is still increasing his arm strength. George Springer might start the season in center field if Varsho isn't ready yet. UPDATE: Varsho hit a two-run home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers.
Daulton Varsho To Make Grapefruit League Debut On Friday
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against the division-rival New York Yankees while serving as the designated hitter. Varsho said he's progressing well from right rotator-cuff surgery last September and has been throwing at 120 feet. He also continues to shag fly balls and hit in camp. The 28-year-old will begin the 2025 regular season on the injured list, but he might only have to spent the minimum time on the shelf before making his season debut. Fantasy managers shouldn't be in any hurry to roster Varsho coming off a pretty serious surgery, especially after he hit just .214/.293/.407 with a .700 OPS, 18 home runs, 58 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 73 runs scored in 136 games in 2024 in his second year in Toronto. His batted-ball metrics didn't paint a pretty picture, although his defensive abilities should keep him as a lineup regular if he's healthy.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is hitting and throwing up to 90 feet, but manager John Schneider said the team is operating as if Varsho will miss time. However, the Jays aren't "putting anything past him." The 28-year-old will more than likely open the 2025 regular season on the injured list after undergoing shoulder surgery last year. When healthy, Varsho will operate as the team's regular center fielder. But until then, all of Joey Loperfido, Nathan Lukes, Jonatan Clase and George Springer could see time in center early in the year. Varsho's glove was his best asset for Toronto in his second year with the team, as he hit a below-average .214/.293/.407 with a .700 OPS, 18 home runs, 58 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 73 runs scored in 136 games. His shoulder injury could have been to blame, but it also doesn't make fantasy managers in mixed leagues confident that he can rebound coming off shoulder surgery.
Daulton Varsho
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Blue Jays
