Blue Jays’ Mitch White throws 43-pitch bullpen session, scheduled for live batting practice Friday

Despite being blanked 7-0 by the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays provided an encouraging injury update on right-hander Mitch White, who has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut this spring.
White, delayed by a right shoulder impingement over the off-season, has been working on his build-up at the player development complex over the last few weeks and made a positive stride this past weekend, throwing a 43-pitch bullpen session. The 28-year-old’s next step will be facing live hitters on Friday, where he is expected to throw a few simulated innings.
If everything checks out, White may be cleared for game action shortly afterwards and could make his spring training debut as early as next week.

Mitch White (shoulder) threw a 43-pitch bullpen over the weekend. He’s scheduled to throw a live bullpen on Friday against Blue Jays hitters. Aiming for a couple simulated innings.
If all goes well Friday, White’s next step would be 1-2 innings in a Grapefruit League game.
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 8, 2023

The 6-foot-3 hurler, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers at last season’s trade deadline, figures to open the regular season in the bullpen – if he’s ready by then – and would serve as Toronto’s multi-inning reliever. But if he were to start the season on the injured list, however, the team would likely turn to Nate Pearson or Zach Thompson for that role.
White made eight starts and two relief appearances with the Blue Jays in 2022, logging 43.0 innings and posting a 7.74 ERA a …

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Author: Thomas Hall / Blue Jays Nation

Raptors: Nets tried to pull off Fred VanVleet for Spencer Dinwiddie trade

Raptors: Nets tried to pull off Fred VanVleet for Spencer Dinwiddie trade

Despite the fact that the Toronto Raptors have both Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet on the roster, the Brooklyn Nets made the first big trade deadline splash. Kyrie Irving was nominally shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks in a move that sent shockwaves around the league. The Irving trade has not been made official yet, […]
Raptors: Nets tried to pull off Fred VanVleet for Spencer Dinwiddie trade – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #7 Tucker Toman

Despite being selected after the second round, most publications considered Tucker Toman to be a top 50 draft prospect.

So it may have been a shock when the Jays selected him and went over-slot on his signing bonus. At the end of the day, it was a great pick.
Before we jump into that, let’s look at the criteria first.
Brennan’s criteria:
Instead of writing this out every time I did for the mid-season Top 60, I’ll copy and paste my criteria for how I rank and scout these players.
There are many factors that determine a top prospect. The eye test is the biggest driver in determining a top prospect, but proximity to the majors, ceiling, and floor is also important. Moreover, statistics are another key ingredient, as everything works together to give you numbers.
As for the grades, it’s important to remember that they are relative to the league in which they play. A kid from Dunedin is not going to have a 50-grade hit tool if he were placed in the big leagues. But relative to the league in which he plays, a .300 hitter is eligible to have that grade.
For these prospects, I’ll be reviewing their background, numbers in the minors, pitch mix (if they’re a pitcher), and giving a scouting report (if feasible, rookie league guys are difficult).
Let’s jump in!
Tucker Toman‘s career so far:
The 19-year-old switch-hitting third baseman/shortstop was drafted 77th overall by the …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation