Share Video
Yamaguchi is expected to fill a relief role for the Blue Jays to begin the season, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Yamaguchi's past success in Japan as both a starter and reliever was a big selling point when he was posted this winter, but for now, Toronto looks committed to using him out of the bullpen. Though Chase Anderson (oblique) is on track to open the season on the injured list, Yamaguchi doesn't appear to be garnering any consideration for replacing him in the rotation on the heels of a rough spring training, as Davidi names Anthony Kay, Ryan Borucki and Nate Pearson as the most likely fill-in candidates. Instead, look for the Blue Jays to use Yamaguchi mostly in lower-leverage spots initially as he continues to get acclimated to the North American game.
