TORONTO – Trey Yesavage has had quite a lot of firsts in his rookie season with the Toronto Blue Jays. You may add “decoy” to the list.
Yesavage and Blue Jays manager John Schneider admitted that the freshman pitcher was used as a distraction within the decisive Game 4 of the American League Division Series when Toronto eliminated the Latest York Yankees from the playoffs with a 5-2 victory.
Yesavage and fellow starting pitcher Kevin Gausman walked to the visitors’ bullpen midgame, implying they may are available in as relievers to shut down any comeback Latest York might mount.
“Once I was walking down there, I used to be trying to not smile. I used to be attempting to act locked in,” said Yesavage on Sunday ahead of Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.
“I used to be told that you just guys (reporters) were going to seek out out that I used to be available that day, but I really wasn’t. It was only a decoy.”
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Schneider confirmed on Sunday that Gausman was available to pitch at Yankee Stadium if crucial but Yesavage wasn’t.
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It was still a fun experience for the 22-year-old Yesavage, who began the season with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the single-A Florida Complex League, working his way up through 4 levels of Toronto’s minor-league system before making his big-league debut on Sept. 15.
Yesavage earned a win in his three regular-season starts for the Blue Jays, with 16 strikeouts over 14 innings and a 3.21 earned-run average. He was stellar in his post-season debut on Oct. 5, striking out 11 Yankees over 5 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball as Toronto went on to beat Latest York 13-7.
Schneider said that Yesavage’s dominant performance is what made the feint even value trying.
“I don’t know if it affected anything that Latest York was going to do, but you never know really where the sport was going to move,” said Schneider after playfully apologizing to reporters for misleading them.
“In order that was somewhat little bit of considering what (Yesavage) had done in Game 2 and adding somewhat little bit of theatre to all of it.”
Yesavage said he enjoyed sitting in a major-league bullpen as Toronto sent seven relievers to the mound to beat the Yankees and advance to the ALCS.
“I might say it was somewhat bit more stressful than being within the dugout, simply because guys within the bullpen were flying around getting hot every inning,” said Yesavage. “I never heard a phone that loud in my life, the one which rings down there.
“It was somewhat different than what I’m used to, but it surely was a cool experience.”
Schneider will put the ball in Yesavage’s hand for real on Monday for Game 2 against the Mariners. Seattle manager Dan Wilson wouldn’t name a starter until after Game 1 was complete.
“I’m super excited. I feel all of us are,” said Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger. “He’s pretty special to have the opportunity to do what he did within the regular season and within the Division Series.
“It’s form of unrealistic, but he’s been in a position to do it, and it’s been amazing to look at, and we’re super excited to have him.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press