Junior Fernández Fantasy Stats

The Toronto Blue Jays claimed right-hander Junior Fernandez off waivers from the New York Yankees on Thursday. Fernandez has had a tumultuous couple of months, spending time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees since last September. The 25-year-old Dominican spent the 2022 season with the Cardinals and Pirates, appearing in 16 games (18 2/3 relief innings) while posting a strong 2.41 ERA (5.79 FIP), 1.61 WHIP, 14 strikeouts and 12 walks. Fernandez has a big arm but has struggled with walks in both the minors and majors. In his four big-league seasons, he has a 5.17 ERA (5.57 FIP), 1.72 WHIP and 18.7 percent strikeout rate in 50 relief appearances. Toronto is the latest team to take a chance on him for relief depth.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Junior Fernandez (shoulder), who ended last year on the 60-day injured list due to a strained shoulder, posted a video of him throwing off a mound on his Instagram account on Wednesday. Some sort of spring training would probably be helpful for Fernandez as he attempts to win a spot in the team's Opening Day bullpen. The 25-year-old right-hander made 18 relief appearances for the Cards last year and allowed 13 earned runs while striking out 15 and walking 15 in 20 2/3 innings. He has a rough 6.62 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in just 35 1/3 relief outings in his three seasons in St. Louis, so he's by no means a lock to begin the year in the major leagues if he's fully healthy.