Blue Jays pitcher Jameson Taillon exited his first home start in Toronto after four scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night because of right forearm discomfort.
The Blue Jays got Taillon from the Chicago Cubs in an Aug. 2 trade, three days before the right-hander’s Toronto debut when he allowed three runs in four innings at Houston.
Taillon gave up one hit, struck out three and walked three while throwing 34 of his 61 pitches for strikes against the Red Sox.
The game, which Toronto won 2-1, was scoreless when he was seen talking to Blue Jays manager John Schneider and team trainers in the dugout after finishing the fourth inning.
“He said his forearm was a little tight, kind of getting some extension on cutters, sliders,” Schneider said after the game.
“For a guy with some injury history, hopefully we can be proactive, and I don’t want to take any chances with him.”
Schneider said Taillon would get an MRI exam on Tuesday.
“Hoping it for the best,” the manager said. “He was throwing the ball well, and left some runners out there, and got back in counts and made some good pitches.”
Simeon Woods Richardson (2-7) took over on the mound for Toronto in the fifth. He pitched three innings for the win, and the only run he allowed came on a bizarre inning-ending double play that was a sacrifice fly when the runner never tagged up from third base.
The Blue Jays are already without starters Trey Yesavage (left knee inflammation), Spencer Arrighetti (nerve irritation in right foot) and Patrick Corbin (shoulder). Yesavage and Arrighetti are both on the 15-day injured list, and Corbin is on the 60-day IL.
Arrighetti was on the injured list when he was acquired from Houston in a trade on Aug. 3 for center fielder Daulton Varsho.
Parker, King promoted inside organization
John Schneider is enthusiastic about the Toronto Blue Jays’ future.
Shortstop JoJo Parker and pitcher Johnny King, two of the top prospects in the Blue Jays organization, each moved up a level within Toronto’s minor-league system on Sunday, to the delight of Schneider. The manager of the major-league club spoke about the two promotions the following day.
“Keep him going,” said Schneider of Parker’s promotion from the single-A Dunedin Blue Jays to the High-A Vancouver Canadians. “Keep him moving up.”
Schneider was then asked about King’s promotion from Vancouver to the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
“Keep him going too, you know what I mean?” said Schneider. “Minor leagues is practice.”
Parker is ranked 27th on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list and is Toronto’s highest ranked minor leaguer. King is the third-highest ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system, behind fellow pitcher Nolan Perry, who is also in double-A.
The 20-year-old Parker was the Blue Jays’ eighth-overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. He hit .259 for Dunedin this season with 13 home runs and 66 runs batted in over 87 games. He had a .389 on-base percentage and .471 slugging percentage in that span.
Parker was especially effective through June and July, hitting 10 homers and posting a .973 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Schneider said Donnie Murphy, the minor league infield co-ordinator for the Blue Jays, was in Toronto on Monday and had delivered a report on Parker.
“We were talking about him a little bit, and he’s another smart kid,” said Schneider. “For a young guy, he can obviously hit, there’s all those tools, but pretty baseball savvy.”
King was taken in the third round of the 2024 draft, 93rd overall, by the Blue Jays.
The left-hander, who is also 20 years old, had a 5-2 record with a 3.21 earned-run average for Vancouver this season. He had 112 strikeouts, 50 walks, and 1.381 walks/hits per inning pitched over 84 innings in 21 starts.
“The biggest thing is if you’re posting and you continue to do well, it’s like get going,” said Schneider. “The reports on him have been really, really good for the whole time he’s been here.”
Schneider said the organization hopes King will continue to attack the zone more and reduce the number of walks he issues.
“I think just as he continues to go, just say, ‘Hey, the more you’re around older hitters, you got to just trust that your stuff is going to be good in the zone,’” said Schneider.
Giants’ Chapman to have surgery for ab strain
San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman will undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday for an abdominal strain.
The former Toronto Blue Jay was seen Monday in Philadelphia by Dr. William C. Meyers, who confirmed the core muscle injury, and the five-time Gold Glove infielder will stay there for the procedure.
“Everything was confirmed with Dr. Meyers and I’m pretty sure they’re going to get that done as quick as possible while he’s up there,” manager Tony Vitello said before the series opener against Houston on Monday.
The 33-year-old Chapman, who signed a six-year, $151 million US contract in September 2024 that takes him through 2030, batted .235 with seven home runs and 42 RBI over 84 games this season.
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