TORONTO — If you want to understand the current volatility of the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster, look no further than Josh Fleming. On Monday, he was the celebrated call-up, the “fresh arm” meant to provide stability. By Tuesday night, he was the “odd man out,” designated for assignment as the club’s desperate search for pitching durability claimed another victim.
Fleming’s tenure in Toronto lasted exactly 24 hours, but his contribution was the definition of “taking one for the team.” Thrust into the “lion’s den” on Monday night after Max Scherzer was pulled with forearm tendinitis, Fleming was asked to soak up innings against the most dangerous lineup in baseball. He threw 77 pitches over three innings, allowing four runs to the Dodgers. While the numbers weren’t pretty, those nine outs prevented the rest of the bullpen from being completely incinerated.
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However, the modern MLB roster is a cold, calculated machine. Because Fleming was out of options and had exhausted his immediate availability with that high pitch count, the Blue Jays made the difficult decision to DFA him to make room for the arrival of Patrick Corbin and Tyler Fitzgerald.
“The Jays surely appreciate the nine outs he gave them, but we needed a fresh arm for Wednesday,” an organizational source noted. Fleming now enters “DFA Limbo,” where he will likely be claimed by a team seeking ground-ball-inducing depth. His departure marks the third time this week a pitcher has been cycled off the 40-man roster after a single appearance.
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The move highlights the “Staff in Shambles” narrative. With nine players currently on the IL—including five starting pitchers—the Blue Jays are operating a revolving door at the bottom of the roster. Fleming was the casualty of a strategy that prioritizes tomorrow’s fresh arm over yesterday’s sacrifice. As Patrick Corbin prepares for his Friday start, the Fleming saga serves as a stark reminder: in 2026, a spot on the Blue Jays’ roster is earned daily, and sometimes, even a 77-pitch sacrifice isn’t enough to keep a locker.